New Home and a New Life Part 2
by Chaoslynx1989
Summary: 50 Years on and the Story continues, Alexander is back and ready to show Equestria something new Introducing The trait of the Theotanasia Bloodline "The Sacred Beasts"
1. Chapter 1

_Part 2 Chapter 1_

_Fifty years passed and Alex was looking at the Graves of his beloved friends "__Ribbon Rhythm, Bonbon, Lyra, Jewel, Mynt, Grace, Clairvoyance, Night Howler and the rest of you I hope you are all doing alright up there and we all miss you so much, you're not going to believe it but Melody, Noelle, and Hanon transcended into Alicorns just the other day and their youth was restored to them too now my four daughters are called the Princess' of Seasons__" Celestia cried as she laid flowers on each of their graves _

_Alex stood beside Celestia as tears flowed down his face as he remembered each one of his beloved friends "__if there was only a way we could bring them all back__" Alex cried, he was now nearly one hundred years old and the loss of his friends always reduced him to tears_

_Celestia wrapped her tail around Alex's muzzle "__Come on dear let's leave them to their rest__" Celestia said sweetly guiding Alex away_

_Jaide came racing up to her parent's "__mother father you're not going to believe it but the rest of the family is here for a visit and they brought Meracle, Coral and Pearl with them__" Jaide sang happily_

_Alex looked at Celestia as a smile crept across his face "__let's go and greet them shall we__" Alex chuckled as he wiped his tears from his eyes_

_Celestia looked at Alex "__you're a mess Alex go and have a bath__" she laughed and Alex did as he was told, Celestia walked with Jaide who was now as tall as her mother round to the front of the house to meet the others "__Mother, Father welcome to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit__" Celestia sang_

_Lauren looked at her daughter and granddaughters "__we got bored of the twice a year visits so now we are upping it to as often as we like__" Lauren laughed_

"_It's true, now where is Alex we brought him something special__" Novalis said happily_

"_AHH NO ESMERALDA BEHAVE YOURSELF__" Alex cried from the bath and he dashed out to the others turned to Esmeralda and roared at her with the ferocity of a dragon_

_Esmeralda always knew that when Alex roared like that, that he was not impressed and not in the mood for her antics "__Boo you're no fun anymore__" she cried and went back to her room crying_

_Alex stood up straight "__Honestly how annoying__" he snapped and went back to his bath_

_Lauren looked at Celestia "__Celestia I hate to say it but you might have to let Alex impregnate Esmeralda to quiet her body down__" Lauren said sharply_

_Melody, Noelle, Hanon and Jaide looked at their mother "__I honestly think that grandmother is right mother impregnating Aunty Esmeralda will be the only way to calm her down__" Noelle said wisely_

_Celesta looked at her daughters "__I quite agree as well Celestia__" Meracle said _

_Celestia was thinking hard "__FINE__" she snapped "__Alex can impregnate Esmeralda but on one condition__" Celestia said as a smile crept across her face_

_Novalis looked worried "__what condition would that be?__" he asked_

_Celestia looked towards the hot spring bath "__he impregnates me first__" she giggled and pranced off to the bath_

_Lauren watched her daughter leave then looked at her granddaughters and rolled her eyes "__why didn't we see that coming, now girls we have brought your bothers and Drake with us as Reverie passed away barely a week ago__" Lauren explained as Lukas, Rino and Drake came into view _

_Alex came out from the bath as they arrived "__bring her this way boys__" Alex said and led the way to the graveyard "__we'll lay her to rest here where she can know eternal peace__" Alex explained_

_Drake looked at Alex "__Reverie isn't the only one we brought with us__" Drake explained as he removed two more coffins from his dimensional pocket and placed them on the ground_

_Alex's heart broke as he looked at the Cutie Marks on the coffins "__Blanc Cress, Daffodil Dream when did this happen to them__" Alex cried as he nudged the coffins with his nose _

_Drake lowered his head "__they passed away days before their mother, Reverie died of a broken heart Alex her babies passed away before she did and her old heart couldn't take the sorrow I was with her the day she went__" Drake choked _

_Alex magically dug the graves himself as he had done with all his friends before once he was done he left cause he didn't want to see rest of it again "__poor Alex he had known them for so long and now they are gone from his life forever__" Novalis said "__being an immortal can really be a curse for a pony like Alex as watching his friends grow old and pass away really does take a toll on his heart__" Novalis explained_

_Alex was sitting by the front of the house and he saw a pair of mares walking by the barrier "__did you know that fifty years ago Princess Celestia, her husband and their foals just vanished?__" the eldest mare said _

"_I didn't know that sister but what was the name of Princess Celestia's Husband?__" the youngest one asked _

_The eldest mare looked at her sister "__his name was Alexander Theotanasia and history says he was an amazing pony that did a lot and accepted almost nothing as a thank you gift he also created the Cutie Mark Scouts but after that Alex, Celestia and their foals vanished, now come on little sister lets go back home to Ponyville before Grandmother Millie worries herself too much__" The eldest mare said_

"_I hope I get to meet Alexander one day that would be so fun__" the youngest one said as she pranced after sister_

_Alex had a smile on face "__so they actually found somepony who took them as their special somepony__" Alex laughed _

"_Alex__" Celestia called dreamily as she laid herself behind Alex and laid her head on Alex's hind right leg and started gently tapping him between his hind legs "__when was the last time we had some fun time alone, Alex come and play with me won't you please__" Celestia asked kindly_

_Alex found Celestia's voice tantalising and he didn't shake the feeling off and he looked down at Celestia who was looking at him quite expectantly "__you want another foal don't you__" Alex asked_

_Celestia went red in the face "__So you noticed__" Celestia giggled _

_Alex and Celestia stood up and walked back to their room and they passed Esmeralda's room, as they walked past Celestia looked at her Sister "__you're next I promise__" she mouthed quietly and she saw Esmeralda's face light up with delight_

_Alex continued walking without a care "__you want me to impregnate Esmeralda too don't you?__" Alex asked with a gentle laugh_

_Celestia stopped in her tracks "__we need to calm her body down and impregnating her is about the only thing that will do it for her__" Celestia said _

_Alex sat down on the floor of his room "__I understand and I'll get it done__" Alex replied with a heavily sigh, Alex had spent the past fifty years honouring his vows now after so long he was forced to go against them again even though he knew it was the nice thing to do he knew it didn't make it right but one thought put a smile on his face that he was to be mating with Celestia before he broke his vows again after so long "__shall we begin my dear?__" Alex said happily as he got back onto his hooves_

_Celestia was all over Alex in a heartbeat "__I thought you would never ask__" she giggled and sealed their room up nice and tight_

_Esmeralda was prancing around the house with a spring in her step when she noticed the others in the graveyard "__who have we lost?__" she asked _

_Lauren looked at her eldest daughter "__Reverie, Blanc Cress and Daffodil Dream__" Lauren said sadly_

_Esmeralda sat down "__three more ponies that Alex has known for a long time, why must time be so cruel?__" she cried_

"_Alex understands that at some point in time life must come to an end but he knows for a fact that sometime in the future they will be born again and that he will be there to meet them once more__" Gaia explained as she walked out of the forest "__but knowing this doesn't make it any easier on him__" she added as she laid flowers on all the graves _

_Lauren looked at the graves "__how much more can he take before his heart becomes impossible to mend?__" Lauren cried_

_They decided to clean up around the house and tend to the gardens to get their minds off the ponies that they just buried "__so have you girls learned anything new lately?__" Novalis asked as he helped his granddaughters clean the bath_

_Melody Noelle Hanon and Jaide looked at their grandfather "__Dad doesn't know this but we have been studying his books and journals for quite a while now and we now know all of his abilities mind you we never learned the half Anthro spell__" Hanon said_

"_The half Anthro spell is unique to your father, grandfather, Drake, Nero and most likely your brothers__" Celestia said as she walked around the corner _

_The girls looked at their mother "__why, is that only the stallions in the family can use the half Anthro spell?__" Melody complained_

_Novalis was snickering to himself "__I designed the Half Anthro Spell in such a way that if a mare tried to learn it that they couldn't as mares need to be protected especially while they are pregnant__" Novalis explained as he activated his half Anthro spell and stood up on his hind legs_

"_Mother, what is father doing right now?__" Jaide asked sweetly _

_Celestia looked towards Alex's room "__his energy is lacking these days the lack of combat has created a rust like membrane on his joints he is barely even at half power now__" Celestia explained _

_Novalis returned to normal "__I could use a decent sparring partner and I think I'll get Lukas, Rino, Drake and the Paladins of Harmony to help me we'll team up on Alex till that rust like membrane wears off__" Novalis laughed _

_They watched as Alex walked out of his room and loosened his joints then made his way to Esmeralda's room shaking his head "__Poor darling fifty years of honouring his vows and now this happens, but other than impregnating Esmeralda to quiet her body down, the new born foals will help to heal Alex's shattered heart__" Lauren said happily_

_Estelle was looking bored as she laid in her room "__you know what he really wants right__" Estelle said politely _

"_Estelle you lazy little mare we didn't know you were awake__" Hanon laughed_

_Estelle just laid there and smiled "__I'm not lazy I just don't like doing much is all__" Estelle explained _

_Celestia looked at her youngest sister "__do you know what Alex wants Estelle cause if you do please tell us?__" Celestia asked_

"_He only ever tells me cause I'm the only who actually listens, but if you want to make him happy then release him from this place__" Estelle snapped_

_The others were confused "__What do you mean Estelle?__" Novalis asked looking at his youngest daughter_

_Estelle just sighed and shook her head "__LET HIM OUT OF THIS FOREST, geez I'd be as gloomy as he is if I had to look at the rest of the world from the edge of the forest and the only thing that prevented me from leaving was a stupid barrier__" Estelle said darkly and she magically slammed her door shut_

_The others looked at each other "__that's all he wants really?__" Novalis laughed "__HAHA that's an easy request I just have to modify the spell to let Alex out but keep the house hidden__" Novalis explained _

_Alex emerged from Esmeralda's room nearly 2 hours later and he psychically dislocated his wings and headed into the forest where he always sat by the barrier and looked out into the open pastures and towards ponyville "__what I wouldn't do to leave even just once__" Alex sighed_

_Novalis appeared behind Alex with an evil smile on his face "__Hey Alex HAPPY BIRTHDAY__" Novalis laughed as he rear kicked Alex through the barrier and into the open pastures _

_Alex laid on the grass for a few moments as the pain subsided "__what was that for?__" Alex cried as he rubbed the back of his head and he noticed he was nearly fifty feet from the edge of the forest "__no way, you have to be kidding__" Alex gasped as he looked around with a quick roll on the grass he shot straight for Ponyville he came to a stop in the middle of town and it was exactly as he remembered it _

_The Ponies looked at Alex confused "__it can't be possible Alex where have you been all these years?__" Millie cried as she slowly made her way to Alex _

_Alex looked at the only remaining member of the Sarunamai sisters "__look at you Millie still as beautiful as I remember you__" Alex said with tears in his eyes_

_Millie just blushed "__please Alex spare this old mare your flattery I'm not much longer for this world anyway so how have you been all these years?__" Millie chuckled _

"_Grandmother who is this stallion?__" The young mare from earlier asked looking at Alex blushing from nose to ear tip "__he is remarkably handsome__" she giggled_

"_Now, Now Cassie mind who you talk to dear this stallion is Prince Alex, Husband to Princess Celestia and a stallion I've played with a few time in my younger years__" Millie explained_

_The whole town stopped dead in their tracks "__NO WAY__" they cried and swarmed around him _

_Alex looked around at all the ponies around him as Celestia and their daughters arrived in town "__how does it feel to be free again Alex?__" Celestia asked _

_Alex was smiling "__it feels great and because of the barrier I couldn't fly like I wanted to so I stopped flying altogether, can you ponies please give me some room I want to open my wings without knocking anypony out?__" Alex asked and the ponies moved back and Alex but his wings back in place and stretched them out and gave them a powerful flap lifting himself off the ground _

"_HEY WHO SAID ANYPONY COULD FLY IN MY TOWN__" a stallion snapped "__I thought I told you ponies if I ever saw anypony flying other than me I'll rip your wings out didn't I?__" he growled_

_Alex looked at the stallion "__and who's this idiot who dares ruin my fun after being sealed in the Everfree Forest for fifty years?__" Alex retorted_

_Alex's mere presence gave everypony courage "__don't mind this foal Alex his name is Nightwhirl and he thinks he is all that mind you the last pony who did Fly in town he did rip their wings out__" Mille explained_

"_Shut up you old mare I'm sure this stallion doesn't need to hear your Stories__" Nightwhirl snapped again_

_Alex was liking this pony less and less by the second "__Show some respect to your elders young colt lest your actions come back to kick you in the rump__" Alex said darkly_

"_That little upstart Alicorn White Whirl said the same thing before I ripped her wings out__" Nightwhirl said darkly _

"_You're the one responsible for White Whirls injuries a few years back?__" Alex asked giving the young Pegasus his complete attention_

_Nightwhirl looked proud of himself "__so what if I did, what, are you going to do about it?__" he laughed_

_Alex shook his head "__this world is becoming like Erunera, time to put a stop to this__" Alex mumbled then looked back at Novalis "__are there any other groups like this around Equestria at the moment?__" he asked_

_Novalis shook his head "__nope it's only here he's acting like this because he is the grandson of Fancy Pants and Fleur dis Lee__" Novalis explained_

"_Their daughter gave birth to this little upstart, well I'm going to have to teach him a lesson that mommy and daddy never taught him__" Alex snapped_

_Millie was grinning "__Alex returns and on his first day he's going to teach a young upstart a lesson__" she giggled_

_Alex turned to Millie "__I have a gift for you dear__" Alex said and touched her with his horn "__I give you some of my personal life energy may you forever be blessed with eternal life as Ponyville's eternal Mayor__" Alex said "__now to deal with this COLT__" Alex said as he emphasised the last word quite sternly_

_Nightwhirl attacked Alex who deflected him easily "__Stupid Alicorn thinking you're better than everypony else, Equestria doesn't need beings like you anymore we are capable of self-development__" Nightwhirl said darkly "__And besides you Alicorns and your immortality, you're nothing but freaks never able to die and always watching as the rest of us age and pass away__" he roared _

_Alex stopped defending and just let Nightwhirl hit him again and again "__you honestly think that I believe I am better than everypony else, sorry to disappoint you son but I'm not like that at all__" Alex said sharply_

"_Be quiet if you were kind enough to grant this old mare eternal life why couldn't you have done it for my grandparents?__" Nightwhirl cried as he broke down "__why didn't you come and save them like you saved Old Mare Millie?__" he choked _

_Alex looked at the young stallion before him "__losing a loved one is never easy and as an eternal being I've had to watch my friends grow old and pass away I'll be honest with you it hurts only today did we bury my friend of nearly sixty years and her foals I couldn't bear to see them buried so I left and cried alone as I remembered them to many of my friends and their foals have I had to bury and each time it hurt so much__" Alex explained "__losing a loved one never gets easier and as an eternal being, knowing that it won't happen to you naturally is hard to take__" Alex said as tears ran down his face_

"_WHAT DO YOU KNOW?__" Nightwhirl cried and he rear kicked Alex in the face and split his head open_

_Alex shook the surprise attack off "__and here I was trying to be nice to let you get your problems off your chest but I see that the only way I'm going to get through to you is with pain__" Alex snapped and he psychically pulled the young stallions wings out "__that was for White Whirl__" Alex said _

_Nightwhirl just started laughing "__you don't seem to realise that I can just go to the hospital and have them reattach my wings__" he laughed _

_Celestia shook her head as she stepped up beside Alex "__yes we know as Alex has been through that operation far more times than any other pony__" she said sternly _

_Novalis walked up to his ponies "__Nightwhirl for the charges of abuse and intentional injuries to another pony I hereby revoke your status of noble, now go home__" Novalis ordered "__I hate doing that I really do__" he said _

_Lauren looked at Nightwhirl's friends "__as of this moment your little group is disbanded and if I learn that you are still operating I'll throw the lot of you in prison__" she snapped _

_The residents of Ponyville looked at the royal family shocked "__where are the Princesses and Paladins of Harmony?__" Alex asked looking around _

_Lauren just chuckled "__they were on a much needed holiday and should be back later today__" Lauren explained_

_Alex looked on the ground and saw Nightwhirl's wings "__I best get these to the hospital__" Alex said as he picked the wings up and made his way to the hospital "__I may not like the kid but I'm not going to forsake him, nothing makes a Pegasus feel worse than not being able to fly__" Alex thought to himself _

"_Prince Alex is that you, Wow I never thought I would get to meet you personally, my Grandmother, Red Heart showed me pictures and told me stories of you so often that your appearance is engraved into my memory, oh I see you brought Nightwhirl's wings in thank you__" she said and Alex passed the wings to her_

_Alex left the hospital and headed for the graveyard near town "__she said Red Heart told her stories not tells her stories, so Red Heart is gone as well__" Alex cried as he walked through the graveyard until he finally found her "__hey there Red Heart take a look I'm back, I'm sorry I didn't come by sooner as no pony told me you were gone, it was your Granddaughter you know she left a subtle message in her speech that I picked up on and so I came here I'm sorry I wasn't around as King Novalis had sealed myself, Celestia and the girls in the Everfree forest and I was finally allowed out today__" Alex explained as he sat in front of his favourite doctors grave _

_Alex sat there talking to Red Heart for hours as he could feel her spirit beside him "__well Red Heart I'll come back and talk some more later for now I must get back to the family rest in peace sweetheart farewell__" Alex cried and he headed towards the nearby pastures_

_Celestia watched as Alex passed through town without as much as a word to anypony "__poor father he looks so lonely__" Pearl cried _

_Pearl went to walk to her father but Meracle grabbed her tail "__leave him be dear it's best that he is left alone right now__" Meracle said wisely _

_Novalis walked off after Alex "__I'm just going to keep an eye one him__" he said as the others tried to stop him, he headed in the direction Alex went when he found him in the middle of the open pastures pulsing with magic and it started to rain "__poor stallion all this loss is weighing heavily on him__" Novalis mumbled to himself_

"_I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE__" Alex screamed as his magic exploded around him and he collapsed on the ground crying uncontrollably "__why did they have to go so early they still had so many years left in them__" Alex cried when he suddenly sat up "__wait now that I think about it I've seen Numerous ponies that I remember from fifty years ago but never really interacted with and they are still healthy so why are the only ones who passed away early my friends and their foals__" Alex wondered _

_Somewhere near Ponyville _

"_Take a look at that sister I think he finally figured out that they were actually killed and didn't pass away on their own__" a stallion laughed _

_A mare snickered "__I agree brother but that cry was music to my ears how can we make him sing for us some more__" the mare giggled _

_The brother and sister had a list with them of all of Ponyville's residents "__who to choose next oh I know how about Red Hearts Granddaughter she is young and Alex might have become attached to her__" The brother laughed_

"_YOU EVEN TRY TOUCHING HER YOU BRATS AND I'LL RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB__" Alex roared into their heads _

"_Hello there Alex you may not know us but we know you quite well you see we are here to take you out before our father King Sombra fully recovers__" the mare laughed hysterically "__well we've had our fair share of fun and father is almost ready to take over all of Equestria, bye Alex may we meet again sometime soon__" she cackled _

_Alex looked towards the mountains and took off and landed in the cave that he sensed Sombra's offspring in "__damn it they're gone__" he snapped as he looked around the cave he found a book of Ponyville's residents "__this can't be good__" he mumbled as he picked the book up and took it back to ponyville _

_Celestia was at the family home in Ponyville "__Where could Alex be?__" she cried as she sat by the window while her daughters wandered around the house "__Girls stay still the house isn't going anywhere and remember we don't live here anymore so once the day is over we are heading back into the forest ok__" Celestia explained happily_

_Alex walked inside reading the book "__Curse Sombra's brats they targeted the friends of the royal family to break my will but now that I'm onto them, their games won't work anymore__" Alex said darkly as he closed the book with a snap and he walked back out side _

_Alex spent the rest of the day wandering around town and meeting the new ponies "__Excuse me Alex my name is Cassie I'm the Granddaughter to Millie Sarunamai it is a pleasure to meet you__" Cassie said sweetly _

_Alex turned his attention to Cassie "__A pleasure to meet you as well Cassie how is your sister doing?__" Alex asked _

_Cassie looked slightly concerned "__I don't know what she sees in him but she is right now in the hospital with Nightwhirl and I don't think she likes you very much__" Cassie explained _

_Alex looked towards the hospital "__I owe him an apology for ripping his wings off, are you coming too Cassie we can talk more on the way__" Alex said as he made his to the hospital _

_Nightwhirl was lying on his bed "__cursed Alicorn no pony has ever so much as touched my wings and he goes an rips them out__" Nightwhirl snapped_

"_Nightwhirl you have to understand Alex did that as your punishment for all the bad things you did in Ponyville since your parents and grandparents passed away__" Cassie's sister explained_

"_Jessibelle why don't you get it, by me running things in Ponyville every pony stayed safe and that damned Alicorn ruined everything__" Nightwhirl snapped_

_Jessibelle just looked at Nightwhirl "__I'm sorry you feel that way as I was the one who brought your wings here so they could be reattached__" Alex said as he walked in the door "__easy now don't move__" he gasped as he magically grabbed Nightwhirl and placed him pack on his bed "__here let me close those wounds for you__" Alex laughed _

"_Don't touch me__" Nightwhirl gasped trying to move away_

"_Don't move Nightwhirl my grandmother always said that while Alex was known for his combat prowess he was known better for his kindness to others so let him heal your surgical wounds then we can get out of here__" Jessibelle said as she held Nightwhirl in her front hooves _

_Cassie watched while Alex worked then she looked at her older sister "__what do you see in him Jessibelle?__" Cassie asked_

_Jessibelle looked at her younger sister "__I see in him the potential to be a better pony then he actually is right now__" Jessi explained_

_Alex smiled "__there we go all done, I've also healed the muscles and nerves so you will be up and flying again in a few days meet me at the Everfree forest in three days, until then Nightwhirl I'll see you later, Jessibelle, Cassie let's go he needs to rest__" Alex said and he turned to leave_

"_Alexander wait, I want you to know that the day before my grandparents were buried King Novalis came and took them away saying he was taking them to a special graveyard__" Nightwhirl said calmly_

_Alex turned to look at Nightwhirl "__yes I know that special graveyard is next to my home and is the place I'll be taking you too in three days__" Alex explained then left_

_Meanwhile in town_

_Celestia stopped at the Candy store that Bonbon and Lyra owned "__hard to believe this place will never open again__" she cried and decided to head back home_

_Melody, Noelle, Hanon and Jaide noticed their mother going back home and decided to join her they walked a separate path then the usual ones used by the family when they heard voices at the house "__NO WAY Novalis has actually set Alex free from the forest?__" Fluttershy said happily _

_Esmeralda was having a bath "__yup they finally released him but they also told him that in order to quiet my body down 'cause as you ladies know I've been in heat for a long time now even out of season' Alex had to impregnate me which he has done as my body right now is nice and stable__" Esmeralda explained gently tapping her belly_

_The mares just started laughing "__I bet my big brother wasn't too pleased about having to do it either__" Viola chuckled as she looked towards Blue Blood's grave "__hard to believe he is gone and Phoenix Rose hasn't returned once from the Crystal Empire since his passing__" she said sadly as she walked towards the graveyard and sat in front of Blue Bloods grave "__Miss you honey I wish you were still here__" Viola cried _

_Nero watched his twin sister for a while "__it's so hard on her but I'm sure she will find somepony else soon__" Rarity said wisely "__when I first met Blue Blood I thought he was the stallion of my dreams of course I didn't know Alex back then but Twilight did, but I quickly learned that Blue Blood was nothing but a royal pain and I personally think Viola was good for him__" Rarity explained _

_The others looked at each other, their loved ones had all been given Alicorn forms except for Blue Blood who had died in battle trying to defend Viola from a rather strong follower of Sombra who had vanished right after killing him, in her rage in losing her husband Viola went on a vicious warpath and left not even one cultist alive, several she had killed with her affinity of water using the water in their bodies like a bomb and detonated them from the inside out, after the fight she personally carried Blue Blood to Alex's home in the forest to be buried with their other friends "__thirty years he's been gone now and everyday Alex places a flower on his grave just like the he does for the rest of his deceased friends__" Celestia said happily as she joined the rest of the extended family _

_Drake looked at the graves "__Alex was heartbroken for a long time when Ribbon passed away, Alex thought her death was unusual as she was so healthy but no matter who we took her too they all said she died of natural causes__" Drake explained then turned his attention to the Fairies garden "__then there was Glitter's passing that really ripped him open I also remember he psychically shattered all of his ribs, his legs and wings so the combined pain could help him forget the pain of losing glitter__" he said _

_Celestia looked at Glitter's little grave "__I remember nursing Alex while he was out of action, he didn't stop crying for weeks and was still crying well after his body was fully healed__" Celestia explained _

_Viola returned to the others "__and the passing of the others did nothing to heal his heart either he was heartbroken about each one of them he had known them for so long and when you are as close to somepony as Alex was too all of them its extra hard__" Viola explained_

_Celestia looked towards the sky and remembered what Alex said when he walked into the house "__Alex mentioned something about King Sombra earlier, easy big sister, if Sombra is back he can't reach you here__" Celestia said as she looked at Esmeralda _

_The mares decided to cast the gloomy topic of conversation aside and were happily talking about where they were going to take Alex now that he was free again when he walked through the trees into the yard with his nose back in the book he had earlier "__let me see if I can calculate their next target and hopefully protect them, now they mentioned Red Heart's Granddaughter distinctly so I'll have to keep an eye on her but who else do I know__" Alex mumbled to himself _

_Esmeralda just smiled "__he's so out of it watch this__" she giggled and magiced Alex off the ground and placed him in the bath with her then let him go and Alex just walked straight out of the bath and towards his room "__Alex what are you looking at?__" she asked with a snicker_

_Alex stopped and looked at the others behind him "__I'm looking at the list of ponies that Sombra's brats could be targeting to kill next just like they got all of our friends__" Alex said as he threw the book on the floor and continued to his room _

_The mares looked at the book and saw that all of the friends of the royal family had blue circles and they all had red crosses through them "__no way, they were murdered?__" Rarity cried "__Alex did they say why they killed them?__" She called_

_Alex walked back out of his room carrying his armour "__they said they killed them to break me so that Sombra would have an easier time taking over Equestria__" Alex explained "__can I ask you stallions to help me get back into peak fighting condition please I'm afraid that I'm really rusty__" Alex laughed_

"_Count me in please__" Novalis said as he walked into the yard "__come on guys what say we get Alex back up to peak performance__" Novalis chuckled "__I hope you don't mind Alex but I trained your boys for you__" he explained _

_Alex smiled "__taught by the best to be the best thanks Novalis I owe you a few rounds at the pub__" Alex laughed_

_Celestia was on her hooves examining Alex when she looked him in the eyes "__look at your eyes I can see the life in them oh Alex it's good to have you back__" Celestia giggled _

_The mares watched Alex take on the other stallions it was a simple no spells and no weapons type of match where Alex had to take on ten ponies at once "__rather extreme isn't it, ten against one isn't exactly fair__" Esmeralda said "__UGH that has got to hurt, wait look between his hind legs you can't tell me this type of pain is making him excited__" she gasped as she looked at Alex as he stood back up blushing from nose to ear tip _

"_I'm so bucking hard right now__" Alex said dreamily but then regained his composure quickly and returned to the fight_

_Rarity was looking at Alex then looked at Celestia and Esmeralda "__you both rode that earlier today?__" she gasped "__my Nero isn't even that big__" she giggled_

_Soarin was laughing "__the pegasi always say that a stallion with big wings is always well equipped down there and boy is he equipped__" he laughed _

_Nero was looking at Rarity "__what do you mean I'm not even that big?__" Nero snapped as he nudged Rarity's rump with his nose_

"_I didn't mean it like that Nero dear, I meant that while you are big in this area I'm just saying that your older brother is bigger__" Rarity explained while poking Nero between his hind legs_

_Gem hopped out of the bath her scale colour was now the same purple of her mother's while her fur stayed white "__well Uncle Alex has calmed down considerably look his equipment is no long hanging and he's stopped blushing as well__" Gem said happily _

_Melody looked at Gem "__Gem I don't mean to pry but as we are all adults now what do you prefer in the opposite sex Dragon or Pony?__" Melody asked sweetly "__and it if helps I prefer Pony, Aquine if you want me to be specific__" she giggled _

_Gem looked around "__I prefer ponies as a fully grown dragon is far too big for this body__" she said calmly "__just thinking about it makes my rump hurt__" she whimpered then a smile crept across her face "__the only stallion I'm interested in right now is, hmm no I think I'll keep that a secret__" she laughed and wandered off to her room _

_Noelle just smiled "__that's not nice Gem you shouldn't leave us hanging like that__" Noelle laughed _

_Ruby just rolled on the floor "__I know who big sister Gem likes but I'm not telling__" she giggled and wondered off into Gems room _

_Fluttershy had noticed that Sun Seed was missing "__did anypony notice where Sun Seed went off to?__" she asked _

"_You'll find him over at the sparring match against__Alex__" Celestia chuckled as she continued to watch the fight "__I have to say Fluttershy you boy is good just look at him go__" Celestia laughed _

_Fluttershy watched her first foal fight like a champion "__COME ON SUN SEED BEAT UNCLE ALEX UP__" Fluttershy cheered "__look at Alex he's dodging the others with ease now only Novalis is getting hits in__" Fluttershy explained_

_The mares continued to watch "__Alright guys that's enough it's dinner time then we can all take a bath together__" Lauren called as she walked out of the kitchen with dinner and a couple of barrels of Apple Cider "__I hope everyone is in for a good night and as today is Alex's birthday none of us are going home__" Lauren laughed _

_Alex stood in the open area of the yard "__I feel absolutely fantastic__" he said calmly _

"_Alex don't just stand there come and eat__" Esmeralda called_

_Alex turned and looked at the family "__right sorry I'm coming__" Alex replied as he made his way towards them to join them for dinner_

_Alex laid on the floor while Celestia laid on his left and Esmeralda laid herself across Alex's back, Lauren looked at them then at Novalis "__they__seem happy don't they dear?__" Lauren asked as she slumped onto Novalis's side_

_Novalis just looked at Lauren "__can you blame them, I mean Celestia and Esmeralda are both carrying foals with Alex as the foal's father, I was thinking that if they weren't happy I was going to wonder if Alex did anything wrong, to be honest I'd even like to have one more and hit and hope that it's a colt as I'd like to give the girls a baby brother if possible__" Novalis said as he blushed from nose to ear tip_

_Alex looked at Novalis "__I'm not sure if you forgot on purpose or not but I remember something I said fifty years ago__" Alex laughed as he looked at the King and Queen of Equestria "__I said back then that Lauren was capable of carrying for another one hundred years and as it's only been fifty well I think you get the point__" Alex snickered_

_Lauren looked at Novalis and they both vanished "__how nice of you to remind them Alex you're such a sweetheart__" Celestia giggled and kissed Alex _

_Alex just blushed "__despite the fact that they locked me in the forest they have been exceedingly kind to me so I just reminded them of that, kindness should be repaid in kind after all__" Alex replied happily _

_Celestia laughed as Alex showed his happiness by flapping his wings "__aren't you excitable today?__" Esmeralda giggled as Alex's wings gently bumped her as they went up and down "__Alex settle down big boy I know your happy to be free again but settle down__" Esmeralda laughed _

_Celestia was laughing even harder as Alex wings patted her on the back "__dad is unusually affectionate this evening__" Hanon laughed as she and her sisters watched their father gently play around with their mother and aunt _

"_Seeing this much life in him is good as he hasn't been his normal self in fifty years, but this book here has me worried so many of our friends have fallen to these brats, I'm honestly looking forward to making them feel the same pain they put dad through all these years__" Noelle said darkly as her eyes flashed red showing signs of her father's ferocious nature_

_Melody looked at her twin sister "__Noelle nice your nature is similar to dads__" Melody laughed_

_Noelle was confused "__what do you mean?__" she asked_

"_Your eyes flashed red just like dads do when he is angry__" Melody explained_

_Hanon looked at her elder sisters "__your eyes flashing red is all well and scary but can either of you do this__" she giggled and then the smile on her face vanished as her beautiful pink coat turned purple he baby blue hair turned black and her magenta eyes turned dark green_

_Melody and Noelle were shocked "__whoa I didn't expect that at all__" Noelle gasped as Hanon calmed herself down with a deep breath and returned to her normal colours_

_Alex was looking at his daughters "__exploring new pathways of magic are we, well allow me to show you something I haven't used since I was eighteen when I was back on Erunera and still in school I didn't use it willingly for the record__" Alex laughed as he headed towards the clearing "__those brats are in for a shock when I unleash this one their father__" Alex said darkly as his eyes turned black leaving no room for any other colours_

_Nero and Viola where on their hooves "__Alex don't let him out__" Viola cried the horror on her face was evident_

_Celestia and Esmeralda stood up beside Nero and Viola "__don't let who out?__" Celestia asked _

"_Prepare for the most terrifying thing you will even see in your life what he is about to unleash killed an entire town when he went berserk one day and this thing came out, he was quickly named the Dragon of Arunami__" Nero explained_

_Celestia was looking at Alex "__now I really want to see it__" she mumbled_

_Alex's body lit up and started changing shape "__I was hoping that after his resurrection this problem wouldn't exist but I see that my hopes actually brought him back__" Nero whimpered as he slinked behind Celestia _

"_His name is simple we only call him Dragon__" Viola explained _

_The family watched as Alex's feathers fell out and with an explosion of magic there before them was a nightmare like no other, covered from nose to tail tip in black scales with red highlights and eyes as black as night as red slits appeared in his eyes, Alex stood before them as a living horror "__I don't like this, NO GIVE ALEX BACK YOU MONSTER__" Esmeralda screamed_

_Alex just started laughing "__Easy Esmeralda it's alright I'm here I have Dragon under my complete control, I know I'm not exactly the best looking while I'm like this but I assure you I'm still the same just a lot more savage in a fight here take a look just know I won't eat you ok__" Alex laughed and opened his mouth to reveal a series of razor sharp teeth _

_Esmeralda fainted "__What the buck is that thing?__" Novalis cried as he returned to the house _

_Celestia stepped in front of Alex "__relax father it's just Alex, he's alright I promise, he was just showing us this form of himself as he plans on using it in the fight that will surely come soon__" Celestia explained then looked at Alex "__return to normal before mother returns and has a heart attack__" she whispered_

_Alex nodded his head and his body started to glow again and he returned to normal "__there we go no more scary dragon pony__" Alex laughed as he laid down on the floor and looked at Esmeralda _

_Esmeralda stirred and opened her eyes to see Alex staring at her "__Alex it's you, I had such a weird dream that you turned into a dragon it was scary__" Esmeralda mumbled then she noticed the pile of feathers on the grass and she squeaked in fright and forced Alex's mouth open to find his sharp teeth long gone "__it wasn't a dream was it?__" she asked as she magiced Alex's old feather over to her "__Do you mind if I keep these?__" she giggled as she overcame the shock_

_Alex just started laughing "__go ahead I don't mind besides it's the change of seasons so I had an undercoat anyway__" Alex laughed _

"_Celestia's not going to like that Alex you know how much she loves preening your wings__" Novalis chuckled_

_Alex turned his attention to his wings "__well these feathers aren't exactly straight so what do you think Celestia want to do a little preening for me?__" Alex asked politely _

_Celestia just smiled "__do I get return treatment afterwards?__" She asked happily _

_Alex walked into his room then poked his head back out the door "__do you want your preening or not?__" Alex laughed _

_The others watched as Celestia bolted for Alex's room "__well that made mother's day__" Jaide laughed as she slipped back into the bath when she remembered Estelle in her room then climbed back out of the bath "__Aunty Estelle it's time for a bath__" Jaide called_

"_I'll have one when I'm ready__" Estelle replied sharply _

_Jaide blasted the door off its hinges "__you haven't come out of your room once in nearly a month now its bath time and you're going to like it__" Jaide snapped as a series of markings appeared on her body _

_Novalis looked at his granddaughter "__those are Alex's magic lines, what is Jaide doing with them__" he wondered_

_Jaide grabbed Estelle and threw her into the bath then jumped on her "__the rest of you check her room and try and find out why she wasn't coming out__" Jaide ordered as she set to work on cleaning Estelle_

_Estelle was resisting Jaide the best she could "__Get off me damn it__" She roared as she blasted Jaide with enough magic to kill her "__that should teach her__" Estelle laughed as her eyes turned Green and black "__I reckon Sombra would be proud of me for getting rid of one of Alex's foals__" she laughed_

"_I thought something was off when she suddenly wanted to stay with us instead of with her mother and father__" Jaide said darkly as she landed on the grass, her baby Blue coat was now dark blue and her black Mane and Tail were now white and her sapphire eyes were now gold "__I guess you met Sombra during your travels around Equestria__" Jaide snapped_

_Estelle attacked Jaide "__I'll make sure you die this time__" Estelle roared _

_Novalis slammed Estelle between her wings and forced her to the floor "__I apologise for my daughter's behaviour Jaide, go to your mother and father and have them fix you up while I tend to my youngest daughter__" Novalis said and Jaide went to her mother and father "__now what happened to you Estelle?__" Novalis snapped _

_Hanon, Melody and Noelle stood around Novalis "__Don't try anything stupid Estelle we will beat you senseless__" Hanon said darkly as her colours turned dark_

_Estelle looked up at the others "__if Sombra didn't have another use for me right now I'd be by his side right now but he asked me to come and spy on you all here and give him every detail of Alex's time in here, and now that Alex is free again his plans will be moving ahead and I hope you are all ready for more heartache as my dear Sombra intends to kill Alex again__" Estelle laughed _

"_I didn't want to believe one of my own foals could be seduced by that damnable pony, Novalis let her up if anypony is to imprison her I want it to be me__" Lauren said _

_Alex and Celestia walked out of their room "__I'm glad she didn't see Alex's surprise for Sombra__" Celestia said_

_Esmeralda was trying to contain her anger but it failed "__YOU UNGRATFUL LITTLE BITCH__" she snapped as she walked up to her baby sister and slapped her so hard Estelle bounced several times across the lawn and the nearby trees pulsed_

_Estelle got up and tried to run away but hit the barrier that Esmeralda had put up around the house "__release me at once__" Estelle ordered then squeaked in horror as her sister approached her_

_Esmeralda revealed a side of her that Alex had never seen "__oh my banshee is here__" Luna gasped as she watched Esmeralda smack Estelle all around the clearing "__Big Sister stop I think Estelle has learned her lesson__" Luna called_

_Esmeralda drove Estelle into the bath and landed on her "__cursed brat, you're a disgrace to the Faust family, now get up__" Esmeralda snapped_

_Lauren placed her front left hoof on her daughters nose "__that's enough Esmeralda leave the rest to me__" Lauren cried _

_Alex stepped forward and chained Estelle to the floor "__before you lock her up let me try something please, I don't think she is doing this willingly, it's just a hunch but a member of the Faust family shouldn't be able to feel anything for a pony as evil as Sombra, I'm thinking that she may be possessed__" Alex explained as he looked Estelle in the eyes "__forgive me baby sister but I'm coming in__" Alex said gently and placed his horn against Estelle's _

_Estelle resisted Alex's entrance into her mind but in the end made it easier for him, Alex wandered Estelle's mind looking at her memories as he went "__Big Brother, Sister, somepony please help me__" Alex could hear a very familiar voice crying "__of course they can't hear me I'm trapped within my own mind while that apparition that Sombra created controls my body and judging by the turmoil she is in right now they must have discovered her secret__" the voice said again_

_A being appeared near Estelle "__your family seems to have found my familiar and are working to counter her but if they come in here they are going to find you dead__" the voice of Sombra laughed _

_Alex dashed to Estelle's side using his wings to shield her "__I thought I wouldn't make it hold on Estelle I'll dispatch this thing then get you back in control of your body__" Alex explained_

_Meanwhile outside Estelle's body _

_The others watched as Alex and Estelle slept and saw that something was going on in the deepest reaches of Estelle's mind "__I think Alex found the course of Estelle's corruption, come on Alex bring her back to us__" Celestia said as she hopped into the bath and started rubbing Alex's back_

_Esmeralda hadn't let her guard down "__how dare that thing corrupt my baby sister I hope Alex teaches it a lesson__" she snapped _

"_Cool your feathers Esmeralda you know Alex always does good work__" Rainbow laughed as she stretched her wings _

"_She is right Esmeralda, you should know firsthand just how effective Alex can be__" Celestia giggled tapping her sisters belly with her hoof_

"_Have faith in him Esmeralda, Alex always gets the job done__" Fluttershy said happily as she hopped into the bath and started brushing Alex's coat_

_The rest of the family waited when Alex suddenly stood up and shook his head "__there all done, give her a bit of time then she should wake up now if I may be excused I need some rest__" Alex said as he wandered off to bed _

_Celestia watched Alex walk off then turned her attention to her sister "__come on big sister you can snuggle up to him with me tonight__" Celestia giggled and they followed Alex to bed._


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

_The rest of the year passed by with Alex training like crazy with the family even the Princesses of Harmony were training for combat when Millie raced into the clearing "__Excuse me, sorry to disturb you but something has happened to Nightwhirl__" Millie cried _

_Novalis was the first to leave as he had his armour on the others were refitted with new armour of a completely new design that Novalis had been working on "__I'll go on ahead and assess the situation the rest of you follow when you are ready, Millie let's go__" Novalis said and they left_

_They arrived to see Nightwhirl attacking everypony that tried to get close to him to pin him down "__Nightwhirl please dear calm down__" Jessibelle cried trying to reach him "__what's wrong with him?__" she asked as Novalis came to a stop beside her_

_Novalis was examining Nightwhirl "__he's possessed by the looks of it, in order to save him we might have to send Dream, Luna and Lauren in to free him, but for now I'm going to have to render him unconscious__" Novalis explained _

_Nightwhirl was rendered unconscious quickly as he was ill-trained for combat "__Jessibelle stay back dear let the royals tend to him their wide variety of magics can work wonders on him__" Milled said as she held a hoof in front of her granddaughter _

_Jessibelle pushed past her grandmother "__No I won't let any of the royals touch him, Nightwhirl has been right all along the time of the royal family is over we ponies need to prove that we can live on our own without their protection__" Jessibelle snapped _

"_We're sorry to hear that you think that cause we are all here to help Nightwhirl as Millie told us he was acting weird and was asking us to help him__" Lauren said_

_Alex stepped forward "__I'm the one who bred this mistrust with her and made it worse with Nightwhirl, if you will allow me I'll get him back myself, Jessibelle in order to prove to you that I want to help I want you to help me get him back we'll both be entering his head together__" Alex explained_

_Jessibelle looked at Alex, he could see the hate in her eyes that she didn't like him one bit for hurting the pony she loved "__Fine__" she snapped "__but if you so much as mess up once I'll tell all of Equestria that the royals can't be trusted__" she said darkly_

_Alex nodded his head "__I understand now shall we begin?__" Alex asked as he made his way to Nightwhirl_

_Jessibelle just dashed past Alex pulling both of his right legs out from under him "__you will not touch him before I get there__" she snapped_

_Alex magiced Jessibelle into the air "__now my dear please you must calm down I understand you're angry but in order for us to work together I must ask that you trust me until the work is complete then if it helps I'll let you beat me up until you feel better, you can even go as far as ripping my wings out, but for now I want you to trust me and calm down ok__" Alex explained with a smile on his face as he got back to his hooves_

_Jessibelle's mood shifted "__I'll trust you but once we are done I'm really going to let you have it do you understand?__" she growled to which Alex nodded_

_Alex laid down in front of Nightwhirl "__hop onto my back Jessibelle and bite my horn and don't let go ok__" Alex explained and Jessibelle did as she was told "__ok let's begin__" Alex chuckled as he linked himself to Jessibelle then to Nightwhirl_

_Once in Jessibelle needed a moment to recover then she got up and looked around "__this is amazing oh look it's the memory of when his grandparents passed away__" Jessibelle said sadly_

_Alex turned to look at the memory and tears started flowing down his face "__so that's how it happened to them while they were old they still had so many years in them, curse Sombra's brats I'll make them pay for all the pain they've caused__" Alex cried as his baby pink eyes flashed red and with a deep breath Alex calmed down completely "__come on Jessibelle let's go find the pony you love so much__" Alex said with a smile_

_Jessibelle followed Alex as he walked along "__Are you sure you know where you're going?__" Jessibelle asked_

_Alex just smiled "__I'll be honest every time I have done this I have never known where I was going but I always ended up in the place I wanted to be, but why don't I speed up things a little bit__" Alex chuckled and started singing the song Fancy Pants and Fleur dis Lee always sang together _

_Jessibelle was smiling "__how is it you know this song?__" she asked _

"_Fancy and Fleur taught me this song many years ago and I always sing it when I visit their graves__" Alex said, he was happy to see that Jessibelle was starting to lighten up to him even if just a little "__look there he is come on let's go get him__" Alex whispered_

_Jessibelle nodded happily and dashed off with Alex "__seems Alex has found out that I have had you possessed Nightwhirl what do you think, do you think he will come and save you or leave you to die__" Sombra laughed_

_Alex stopped Jessibelle with his wing "__Shh, wait a moment they don't know we are in here, we'll see what Sombra goes to do and if he goes to kill him I'll intervene alright__" Alex explained and Jessibelle nodded_

_Sombra was looking Nightwhirl over "__Stay away from me you freak, if the stories my grandparents told me are to be believed Alex will come and save me from your foul grasp then get rid of you for good__" Nightwhirl snapped_

"_I find that doubtable as the last time Alexander and I met I actually was the one solely responsible for his death but due to the fact that those ignorant Royals found my book of spells that had my resurrection spell in it they messed with it and they were able to resurrect him without sacrificing a single pony__" Sombra said darkly "__but that just proves that even the mighty Alicorn isn't unbeatable__" Sombra laughed_

_Nightwhirl was struggling against his crystal bonds "__please we all heard the stories, you were only able to beat Alex because your cultists told him that if he wanted his daughters and Gem back he had to rip his wings out and that he would get one foal back for each wing he ripped out, you only beat him because Alex was already grievously weakened__" Nightwhirl snapped_

_Sombra made to kill Nightwhirl and Alex was shielding Nightwhirl in a heartbeat "__Not on my watch Sombra you won't take Nightwhirl's life not while I am here__" Alex snapped _

_Jessibelle was beside Nightwhirl trying to free him from his bonds while Alex shielded them from Sombra's attacks "__Hold on Nightwhirl I'll have you out in a moment dear__" Jessibelle said as she tried to shatter the crystals "__it's not working, Alex I need help__" she cried_

_Alex slashed the apparition of Sombra "__I'll be right there__" Alex replied as he made his way towards them_

_Nightwhirl was confused "__how did you both get in here?__" he asked "__and better yet what are you doing here to begin with?__" he said as he looked at them _

_Alex shattered the dark crystals with ease "__we came into your head to free you but Jessibelle didn't want us anywhere near you so to help her feel better about me coming here I offered to bring her with me and so here we are now to find the apparition that is controlling your body and then kill it__" Alex explained as the three of them walked around_

"_Damn these Alicorns, always getting in the master's way come on you useless body wake up__" a voice said _

_Alex just smiled "__that was far easier than I expected it to be, I want you young ones to sit back I'll end this quickly__" Alex said and vanished from sight _

_Nightwhirl and Jessibelle watched as the apparition just sat there completely unaware that death was approaching it "__I can't believe that thing is controlling my body__" Nightwhirl snapped _

_Jessibelle squeaked in horror as Alex destroyed the apparition before it could react "__that was easier than it should have been__" she giggled_

_Alex returned to the young pair "__Nightwhirl you have one very devoted young mare here and it was her love for you that gave her the courage needed to brave this place I recommend you think on what she means to you__" Alex said with a smile _

_Nightwhirl and Jessibelle looked at each other and Alex saw a familiar expression befall both of them "__Jessibelle I know this might seem quick to ask but will you be my special somepony?__" Nightwhirl asked _

_Alex's wings stood up as he waited for the answer and saw that Jessibelle was crying tears of joy "__yes of course I will__" she replied and kissed Nightwhirl and in a flash of light they returned to their own bodies and they all woke up _

_Alex stretched himself out "__mission complete, I'm happy to say that Nightwhirl will be fine__" Alex announced to cheers from the rest of the town "__but what's about to happen next you all must see__" Alex chuckled as he watched Jessibelle and Nightwhirl get slowly to their hooves_

_In the blink of an eye Jessibelle pounced on Nightwhirl and kissed him, she refused to let go of him for ten minutes when Alex magiced them apart "__Alex you're no fun__" Jessibelle giggled as she turned to Alex with a smile on her face_

_Alex returned the smile then leaned in close "__save the playtime for later now why don't you take Nightwhirl to the hospital to make sure he isn't injured and I hope your opinion of the royal family is different now__" Alex laughed_

_The town watched the new couple leave towards the hospital "__Alex that was fantastic work and look how peaceful Nightwhirl is now maybe he'll be kinder to the others__" Millie said happily as she slapped Alex's rump _

_Alex jumped and started to laugh "__oh please I didn't do anything except protect them it was all Jessibelle's doing I just helped__" Alex said as it was better to give Jessibelle the glory then take it for himself "__is Rose Romance still around these days?__" Alex asked as he decided to change the subject_

_Millie looked around "__as far as I know she still runs the Arts and Crafts store at the end of town__" Millie said happily_

_Alex looked at the rest of the family "__what do you all plan on doing now?__" Alex asked as he looked at them all _

"_I think I'll go home and prepare lunch__" Celestia said happily_

"_I think we'll join her as well__" Novalis laughed as the family turned around and headed home "__Say hi to Rose for us Alex__" Novalis called_

_Alex wandered off to the Arts and Crafts store, once there he poked his nose in the door "__Rose are you in?__" Alex chuckled as he slipped in gently and looked around _

_Rose walked slowly out from the back "__Alex it's you, I thought you would never pay me a visit now that you are back__" Rose cried as she slowly made her way to Alex _

_Alex hugged Rose Romance "__look at you Rose still as beautiful as the last day I saw you fifty years ago, how have you been my dear__" Alex laughed gently as he sat down_

_Rose sat herself between Alex's hooves and pressed herself against Alex's coat "__I've been well Alex thank you for asking , oh how I have wanted to do this again__" she said sweetly and fell asleep _

_Alex looked at Rose and tears started running down his face as he smiled gently "__good night sweet Rose may you forever know true peace in the embrace of the maker and the one who loves you__" Alex cried and he sat there as the old mare passed away with a smile on her face, Alex held Rose against his body with his wings and kissed her forehead one last time "__Dear lord in heaven I send to you another soul who has passed on from this life may she forever know happiness in your embrace__" Alex prayed _

"_Mother I'm here, oh Alex hello how is mother doing?__" Cherry Petal asked happily_

_Alex looked back at Cherry with tears still streaming down his face "__I'm sorry Cherry she just passed on here come and have a look dear__" Alex cried as he turned back to Rose and held her tighter to his body "__why is it I'm never there or I'm there on their last days__" he whimpered_

_Cherry placed herself on Alex's back "__Mother always said that she would refuse to pass away till she got to see you one last time, and you just happened to grant her, her last wish Alex, so from the bottom of my heart I thank you for being with her in her last moments__" Cherry explained as tears flowed down her face_

_Alex broke down, other than Millie Sarunamai, Rose Romance was the last of his friends that was still alive and now she was gone "__it's not fair__" Alex cried _

_Cherry started patting Alex's nose "__Alex would you do me a favour and bury her in the graveyard at your home please I'm sure she would be happier being close to you even in death__" Cherry cried as tears continued to flow down her face_

_Alex stood up and held Rose in his wings then looked at Cherry, he magiced Ribbon Rhythm's ear piece off his own ear as he was carrying her one in her memory as well as the others of his friends "__come with me Cherry__" Alex whimpered as he walked out the door and made his way through town _

_The whole town had seen Alex come out of the shop carrying Rose Romance on his wings and parted so he could walk through "__Farewell Rose you will be sorely missed, may you find happiness in the embrace of the maker and the one who loves you__" the residents of Ponyville prayed in unison _

_Meanwhile at the home in the Everfree forest_

_Celestia was happily preparing food with her sisters and mother while the stallions cleaned up "__I hope Alex likes the food we are preparing__" Celestia giggled_

_Nero poked his head in the door "__do you ladies mind if I help?__" he asked with a smile on his face _

_The mares looked at Nero "__now Nero you know the agreement, us ladies prepare dinner while you stallions clean up around the house, now back to work with you__" Rarity giggled as she walked up to Nero and kissed him and Nero returned to cleaning _

_The younger mares and the Princesses of Harmony were preparing the dining room for a party that evening "__dad's going to love this__" Jaide sang happily _

_They all saw Alex enter the clearing with Rose Romance on his wings "__oh no not another one__" Esmeralda cried and she dashed out to Alex "__Alex did they claim another one?__" Esmeralda asked as the others arrived at her side and they all walked with Alex to the graveyard_

_Alex shook his head "__no Rose Romance passed away in my embrace she was sitting in between my hooves and was pressed against my coat when she drew her final breath__" Alex explained as tears started flowing down his face again "__she passed away with a smile on her face, Cherry tells me that Rose refused to leave this world till I paid her one last visit__" Alex cried as he held rose against his body one last time "__farewell Rose may there be a time when we can meet again__" Alex chuckled weakly and he playfully rubbed his nose against her belly_

_Novalis walked up to them carrying a coffin with Rose's Cutie Mark on it "__here Alex put her in here then we can lay her to rest__" Novalis said sadly _

_Alex placed Rose in the coffin and then screamed, his agony could be felt by all, Alex dashed over to the garden and removed all the roses and brought them to Rose's coffin and laid them around her body "__Alex go inside dear let us finish this for you__" Celestia said as she sat down then grabbed Alex's head with her wings and pressed his head against her chest _

_Alex looked at Rose's coffin "__no I want to be here for this but may I please lower her coffin in myself?__" Alex asked as he freed himself from Celestia's grasp and he grabbed Roses coffin, he kissed her forehead one last time before closing the lid and lowering her down into the hole and covering her over_

_Lauren took it upon herself to create and mark the gravestone so Alex wouldn't have to "__there we go all complete Good bye Rose__" Lauren said and the whole bowed their heads_

_Cherry walked up to Alex "__Alex I have something here for you, my mother always wore these and I'm sure she would like you to have them__" Cherry explained as she passed Alex a pair of hoof bangles _

_Alex remembered that Rose always wore her bangles on her left hind leg, so in her memory he attached them to his left hind leg and then looked at them and smiled "__I'm glad they fit__" he said happily "__if you want me I'll be in my room__" Alex said with a weak smile _

_Esmeralda watched Alex leave "__poor darling look at him, his last remaining friend from fifty years ago is Millie Sarunamai, he would be devastated if she was to pass away or be killed__" Esmeralda said as the very thought reduced her to tears_

_Nero watched as his brother looked towards the graveyard once more then shut his bedroom door "__Worst case scenario is he loses control of Dragon and destroys the whole of Equestria__" Nero said much to the others horror they all knew that he was right_

_Alex stayed in his room and just drew pictures of all of his friends, then just to help ease his mind he drew one big picture of all of his friends together in one picture as they surrounded him and they all looked so happy to him, Alex broke down in tears "__I miss you all so much__" he cried and then he fell asleep not to awaken again until morning._

_Celestia had slept in Esmeralda's room and walked into Alex's room to see him sprawled out on the floor with tears still flowing down his face and close by him was the pictures he had drawn "__these all look just like photos and this big one here he went into extra special care to do it__" Celestia said and placed the pictures on the wall then left the room to let Alex sleep some more_

"_How is he doing Celestia?__" Lauren asked as she walked up to her daughter_

_Celestia shook her head "__even in his sleep he is still crying, its only my assumption but I think it would be wise to protect Millie cause now that Rose is gone I believe Sombra will target her__" Celestia explained_

_Lauren nodded her head "__we Alicorns may be immortal but we are not unkillable Alex has proven that point once already and if he loses Millie Sarunamai it may well just be the end of him, he's lost all but one of his friend in 10 short years and if he loses Millie now he may never recover__" Lauren said sagely_

_The others all awakened before Alex did even though he had fallen asleep before all of them and they decided to do all of Alex's chores while Celestia was working in the kitchen singing happily when she looked at her belly "__this little one should really help heal Alex's heart__" she giggled__"__Oh the mint Éclairs that Bonbon taught me to make are ready__" Celestia cheered_

_Esmeralda had found Alex awake in his room and he had finally stopped crying "__Come on Alex bath time big guy let's go__" she giggled_

_Novalis walked into the kitchen "__what's cooking?__" he laughed reaching for an éclair _

_Celestia tail slapped her father's hoof "__these are for Alex dad and if he wants to share then you can have some__" Celestia said happily_

_Esmeralda had guided Alex into the bath and was cleaning his face "__oh my the poor dear just look at him__" a familiar voice said_

_Lauren had granted a special mare the gift of eternal life as she could reach Alex's heart as easily as Celestia and Esmeralda, Alex looked up to see Meadow Rose standing above him with a kind smile on her face "__Meadow what are you doing here?__" Alex asked _

_Meadow Rose lifted Alex from the floor "__come on my dear boy, let's get you all cleaned up__" Meadow giggled as she used her wings to hold his head as she moved Alex away from the others _

_Lauren was blushing "__when I said Millie Sarunamai was the last of Alex's friends I had honestly forgotten that I had granted Meadow Rose eternal life__" Lauren said sweetly_

_The others watched as Meadow babied Alex while she cleaned him and then proceeded to preen his wings "__what an interesting method to use on him and look how well he is responding to her__" Esmeralda said and a smile crept across her face as she watched Alex behave like a foal being bathed by its mother "__I'm using that method on him from now on__" Esmeralda giggled_

_Alex had curled himself up beside Meadow Rose "__No, no Alex no falling asleep in the bath we don't want you drowning now__" Meadow giggled as she pulled on Alex's left ear "__come on dear you're all done now off to bed with you and get some sleep__" she said happily and Alex did as he was told and went back to bed_

"_Meadow that was amazing how is it you got him to behave like that?__" Lauren asked happily as she magically closed Alex's bedroom door_

_Meadow Rose looked around at the others "__simple Alex is the type of personality that when he is feeling down and lonely all you need to do is baby him by doing that it tells him mentally that he isn't alone and he recovers from losses a lot quicker you watch when he wakes up he'll be happiest you've seen him in ten years__" Meadow Rose explained and with a smile on her face she made her way to Alex's room "__now if you will excuse me I'm going to baby him some more__" she giggled and shut the door behind her_

_The others looked at each other then started laughing "__I wish I had known that years ago then maybe he wouldn't have been in this state__" Celestia laughed happily _

_Esmeralda nodded her head "__indeed he always wore a smile for us but we all knew he was in so much pain I reckon we should have called for Meadow Rose sooner__" Esmeralda giggled _

"_Come on my little ponies it's bed time now let's get some sleep__" Lauren said happily _

_Meadow Rose was wide awake when Alex came too and she started pulling on his right ear "__Good morning Alex how are you feeling?__" Meadow asked happily and started nuzzling him affectionately _

_Before Meadow could react Alex had pounced on her and started play biting her neck then started kissing her chest "__Alex you naughty boy stop it you are meant to only play with Celestia__" Meadow giggled _

_Celestia was standing at the door "__Go ahead Alex she deserves it for everything she did for you last night__" Celestia laughed and she turned around, left and sealed the room behind her "__have fun you two__" she chuckled quietly_

_Esmeralda bounced up to Celestia "__how is he Celestia?__" She asked_

_Celestia looked towards hers and Alex's room "__Meadow is getting some special attention right now cause Alex woke up and pounced on her__" Celestia explained_

"_Mother sure is lucky as not many ponies get to play with Alex to that degree__" Fluttershy said as she walked past Alex's door with a bounce in her step _

_Rainbow Dash landed by the door "__if you listen carefully you can actually hear them__" she laughed as she went red in the face then looked at Soarin "__I don't know about you ladies but I for one am hungry__" she giggled as a dreamy look appeared in her eyes_

_Soarin rolled his eyes "__let's take this home then__" he laughed and they both flew for home_

_Somewhere near Ponyville _

_Sombra sat on a mountain and he noticed Rainbow Dash and Soarin fly off to their Cloudsdale style home "__why did they suddenly appear over there I wonder?__" He hissed happily as he magically removed the ear piece he had on "__well done Clouse getting this will able me to infiltrate their home and snoop around__" Sombra laughed _

_Clouse and his sister sat and watched as their father wandered off into the Everfree forest "__what do you think Chloe do you think he'll get inside the barrier with that ear piece on?__" Clouse asked_

_Chloe started laughing "__I hope he does and as Alex is such as depressed mess right now after the passing of Rose Romance father should be able to kill him easily__" Chloe laughed_

_Sombra approached the barrier and walked right through it completely unaware that Alex had already detected him but he was far too busy pleasing Meadow Rose to care about him "__Welcome to my home Sombra but now I must say goodbye__" Alex laughed into Sombra's head and teleported the ear piece Sombra was wearing off of him "__Prepare your forces Sombra for soon you and your foals will soon be beaten__" Alex said and cut communications_

_Sombra found himself back outside the forest so he teleported himself back to Clouse and Chloe "__damn that Alicorn is a witty one I can't believe he put a darkness detection barrier around the forest and linked its alarm system into his head and to think he added a locator spell so he instantly know where I was__" he explained to his son and daughter_

_Chloe was amused "__does he always think of everything?__" she snapped as she started going red in the face_

_Clouse had noticed it "__don't tell me you have started liking him?__" Clouse asked angrily_

_Chloe looked at her brother annoyed "__No I don't like him but I like the way he works it's like his mind focuses on Absolute defence of his family and his friends and other ponies so forgive me if I like him even if it is only his methods__" Chloe snapped darkly _

_Sombra just looked at his daughter "__As long as your emotions don't get in the way of you killing him then you can like him as much as you want but always remember Alex needs to die__" Sombra said darkly_

_Clouse looked at his father "__you've mellowed out father are you sure you are alright?__" he asked looking at his father concerned_

_Sombra actually cracked a gentle smile "__having foals can have a weird effects on a pony__" Sombra laughed_

"_I hear that Sombra__" Alex said as he appeared nearby "__whoa easy now I'm not even here to fight, I'll be honest I'd much rather know my enemy that way when I defeat them I can engrave their memory in my heart and never forget the battle we had__" Alex explained _

_Sombra, Clouse and Chloe were confused "__you want to get to know us?__" Chloe asked "__even though we killed your friends?__" she asked again_

_Alex just smiled "__personally speaking I'd rather not fight you at all, you are, while partially evil, a happy family, killing you would be such a waste of life if you ask me__" Alex replied as he sat down near them_

_Chloe placed herself between Alex's hooves and he looked at her "__father I'm thinking that while we killed his friends why do we need to kill him I'm sure we could come to an agreement if we just talked with him__" Chloe said as she looked at her father _

_Alex looked at Sombra "__as a father of seven soon to be nine, Don't ask, I feel your heart is not as evil as it once was Sombra, why not quiet down and live with your young ones happily it would be much better than trying to take over Equestria and end up being killed or hated__" Alex explained as he patted Chloe's head with his wing "__despite your upbringing you're actually quite sweet but I can also tell that your heart is still pure as your magic wellspring and magic affinity doesn't allow you to cast dark magic like your brother does__" Alex said happily_

_Chloe just looked at the ground beneath her "__I've always wanted to be of use to my father one way or another so I decided to help the only way I could I used my knowledge and quick wits to help my brother with his plan to kill all your friends by the way we didn't kill Rose Romance she passed away on her own__" Chloe explained as she enjoyed Alex rubbing her head but Alex could sense she was telling him something_

_Clouse had heard enough "__UGH this atmosphere is making me sick if you two lose your will to kill this upstart Alicorn then how are we going to take over Equestria with you two being Wishy washy__" Clouse snapped as he magically teleported his father and sister away from Alex to some unknown location_

_Alex looked around the mountain "__I see they were just sitting here and looking out over the area such a shame really I almost had the young mare in my protection, and it would seem the young stallion is pulling the strings on this__" Alex mumbled to himself and took flight and he returned home_

_Celestia tended to the house with Esmeralda and her mother "__oh my I feel fabulous, Celestia are you sure it was alright that I did that with Alex?__" Meadow Rose asked happily as she gave herself a pleasant shake "__oh my I haven't felt this fabulous in years and my rump feels fantastic__" she giggled _

_Celestia just smiled "__even if I didn't give him permission he would have done it anyway__" Celestia laughed _

_Meadow had a cheeky smile on her face at this news "__well as long as you are alright with it__" she chuckled happily_

_Novalis walked out of his and Lauren's room "__you ladies really must go easy on Alex, sure he is an excellent father but you must also remember that he has his own insecurities as well__" Novalis laughed _

_Alex landed nearby and wandered around, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and fell in the bath "__WHOA__" he screamed and he landed head first in the water and just stayed there to let his thoughts wander_

_Meadow, Celestia and Esmeralda arrived to see Alex with his head underwater tapping his chin with his hoof "__what could he be thinking about?__" Celestia wondered_

_Lauren looked at Novalis "__this is going to sound weird but Alex gives the perfect example of a stallion who can please any mare and keep them happy without ruining any pony's lives__" Lauren giggled_

_Novalis nodded his head "__not many stallions can pull that off heck even I can't but Alex he really can do just about everything__" Novalis laughed_

_Alex pulled his head out of the water "__what are you two implying exactly?__" Alex asked as he looked at them_

_Lauren went red in the face "__we're just saying that not every stallion is able to keep any mare happy like you can it's a rare gift to have isn't it ladies__" Lauren said with a smile on her face _

_Esmeralda, Celestia and Meadow Rose looked at Alex and smiled "__indeed it is, Alex has been special from the very first day I met him nearly 75 odd years ago while I was under Discord's curse while not affectionately at the time he held a special place in my heart, he still does he just holds more of it__" Celestia laughed as she swung herself around to Alex's front and kissed him_

_Novalis was happy to see the girls Alex had in his life so happy "__well Alex let's change the subject, why did you vanish earlier?__" Novalis asked_

_Alex looked towards the sky "__I was believe it or not talking to Sombra and his foals and I was amazed to learn that Sombra has mellowed out since his foals were born and little Chloe still has a pure heart, but Clouse is different he's evil to the core it's like he's taken all of his father's negative aura and made it his own__" Alex explained_

_Esmeralda was surprised "__Sombra has mellowed out huh most interesting__" she said "__but I'm sure that he won't stay mellow for long but if what you said about Chloe is true then she needs to be rescued if possible__" Esmeralda said_

_Novalis nodded his head "__Clouse and Sombra will have to be executed to be safe but if Chloe can be saved that will be perfect__" Novalis said "__destroying an entire family simply because two of them are evil makes us no better than Sombra and Clouse, if we can spare even one of them that will be fine__" he said kindly _

_Alex's attention was drawn towards the edge of the property "__what's the matter Alex dear?__" Meadow Rose asked _

"_There's a pony out there injured excuse me ladies I'm going to go check on them__" Alex replied as he slipped himself gently out from under his beloved Celestia and walked into the forest_

_Novalis looked at the mares "__you ladies stay here I'll join Alex just in case he needs help I highly doubt he will but still__" Novalis said and followed after Alex _

_The mares tended to lunch while they waited for Novalis and Alex to return "__Excuse me, its Cherry Petal is Alex here I found the rest of my mother's hoof bangles and was wondering if he would like to have them?__" Cherry said as she poked her nose in the kitchen "__Are those Bonbon's Mint Éclairs I haven't had one of those in years?__" she giggled_

_Celestia smiled at Cherry "__Bonbon taught me to make these before she passed away so while these are for Alex here have one__" Celestia giggled and passed a mint éclair to Cherry Petal_

_Cherry Petal chewed the éclair happily "__just as good as I remember, Oh I know Celestia why don't you reopen the candy store and start selling Bonbon's now legendary sweets?__" Cherry suggested_

_Celestia sat down to think it over and magiced a cook book out of thin air "__this is Bonbon's recipe book and I like the idea of reopening the candy store, yes I think I'll do it, Esmeralda, Meadow would you both like to help me?__" Celestia asked looking around _

_Esmeralda nodded her head happily "__sounds like a good idea to me too as it will able us to get out of the house more__" Esmeralda laughed _

_Meadow had smile on her face "__I'll help as well but you both must remember to be careful because if you injure your midsections you may lose the foals you are carrying__" Meadow Rose said wisely_

_Celestia nodded her head "__well why don't we prepare the paperwork and get them to Millie but hold off the opening until after the foals are born where we can leave them with Alex while we work__" Celestia suggested_

"_Sounds good but I recommend spending at least 3 months with the foals before working let the foals bond with you better before separating yourselves from them or I could tend to the foals at the store while you ladies work__" Alex laughed as he entered the kitchen_

_Novalis had a young mare on his back and she had one of the family ear pieces on so she could enter the protective barrier "__we found her near the heart of the forest out cold and wounded so Alex and I healed her and brought her here, now if you will excuse me I'm going to put her in the spare room to rest__" Novalis explained and left _

_Alex poked his head back out the door "__if it wasn't for the dark taint on her I wouldn't have found her__" Alex said as he returned his attention to the mares just sitting at the kitchen table _

_Cherry Petal walked up to Alex "__Here Alex these are my mother's other bangles and I thought you would like to have them seeing how much you loved her like all your friends I thought she would be happy if you had her bangles__" Cherry said _

_Alex lifted his hooves as the mares attached the bangles to him "__there you go Alex and I must say that they oddly suit you, Rose had a very good taste for jewellery__" Meadow Rose said happily_

_Alex looked at his legs and smiled "__they do suite me don't they?__" he laughed and bounced around a bit and the bangles gently clanged against each other _

_Cherry was smiling happily "__I'm glad you like them Alex__" she sang "__oh hey now that I think about it mother said she had a special set of enchanted bangles just for you and that she left a set of instructions on their functions, let me go home and see if I can find them__" Cherry said _

_Alex kissed Cherry Petal's forehead "__stay safe on your way home ok__" Alex said with a gentle smile_

_Cherry kissed Alex's nose and then left for home "__Alex those bangles really do suit you__" Celestia giggled as she walked up beside him and kissed his Cutie Mark_

_Alex felt an electric surge go down his spine and his wings stood straight up "__I think he liked that Celestia__" Esmeralda laughed as she got up and started patting his nose _

_Celestia was rubbing Alex's back trying to get his wings to relax and collapse, Alex enjoyed the attention the mares were giving him "__if I may be so brazen as to ask but what do you ladies see in me anyway as I really don't think I'm all that special to be getting so much affection from you ladies__" Alex said as he gently slipped himself away from the mares and placed himself under a cherry blossom tree_

_The mares placed themselves in front of Alex "__what do we see in you?__" Esmeralda asked_

"_Are you sure you want to know?__" Meadow Rose giggled as she sat at the table_

"_Think about it carefully now as the answers we will give you are quite shocking as we see things you can't see in yourself__" Celestia laughed_

_Alex looked at the mares and he could tell they were serious "__Alright let me hear it__" he sighed heavily and gave them his complete attention_

_Meanwhile in the Crystal Empire _

_Cadence and Shining Armour were in a panic as they tried to get as many of the residents of the empire they could onto the train to evacuate the empire "__Armour there isn't enough room on the train we can't evacuate the whole town__" Cadence cried _

_Shining Armour swung his scythe and claimed four of Sombra's followers in one swing "__we have to try Cadence we can't leave them here to be slaves, these ponies would surely commit suicide before they let that happen__" Shining Armour replied as he cut down several more cultists _

_Seira was next to Phoenix Rose "__what would Uncle Alex do in this situation?__" Seira wondered "__oh yeah take this Sombra you are not getting these ponies__" Seira giggled "__Mother father Phoenix get on the train I'll take care of the rest__" she called and made the rest of the Crystal empire's residents vanish into thin are then took to the sky "__get the train out of here__" she ordered the conductor and took off as the train rolled out _

_Cadence watched her daughter fly ahead of the train as she maintained the barrier that protected it "__look at her Armour she has come such a long way and her talent for barriers and protection spells is unmatched by anypony__" Cadence said happily_

_Shining Armour was nursing a wound on his chest "__glad this wound isn't too deep or else I might be in trouble__" he laughed_

_Cadence decided to check her husband's wound "__good it's not poisoned or contaminated let me get to work on healing that for you__" Cadence said happily as she set about healing Shining Armour's wound_

_They arrived in Canterlot three hours later and Seira landed on the station as she dropped the barrier from around the train "__finally made it ugh I really want to go and see Uncle Alex and take a dip in his hot spring bath maybe I could even get him to give me a bath__" she giggled then instantly threw up "__but first I need to get the residents of the Crystal Empire out of my Dimensional Pocket I'm not sure how much longer my magic can hold out__" she choked and released the nearly three thousand residents of the crystal empire from her special pocket and passed out as the last of her magic vanished_

_Cadence walked off the train to see Seira passed out on the ground "__Seira hang on I'll get you to Uncle Alex shortly__" Cadence cried as she magiced Seira onto her back and took off_

_Shining Armour stayed behind for a bit "__I want you all to stay here in Canterlot we're going to talk to King Novalis and Queen Lauren and see what we can do about getting you some place to stay safely but for now I want you all to find your families and I apologise if you have been separated from your loved ones and know that I'll do everything I can to reunite you all with your families now please stay calm and I promise you we'll have you all home soon__" Shining Armour announced and took off after his family_

_Cadence landed at the house to see Alex red in the face with embarrassment and his wings standing up in shock "__oh my I wonder what they said to him?__" Cadence giggled "__Mother I'm here__" she called _

_Esmeralda turned around "__Cadence sweetheart we weren't expecting you at all how, are you all doing?__" Esmeralda asked _

_Cadence hung her head "__we've lost the crystal empire it happened so fast that we almost didn't get everypony out but due to Seira's quick thinking she locked eighty percent of the empire's population in her Dimensional Pocket while the other twenty percent got onto the train, then little Seira protected the train while we headed to Canterlot__" Cadence explained as she lowered Seira to the floor _

_Lauren and Novalis had heard the whole story "__are your citizens in Canterlot right now?__" Novalis asked _

_Shining Armour landed next to Cadence and Seira "__they are at the train station right now and they are very badly shaken up but they are safe__" Shining Armour explained "__we are going to need the registry that we keep in the Crystal Palace's library in the official records section__" he said calmly_

_Alex looked at the mares in front of him "__stand back ladies, Cadence, Shining Armour it's good to see you both again__" Alex said still very red in the face_

_Cadence just snickered "__it's good to see you too Alex and sorry we didn't swing by on your birthday we were rather busy__" Cadence replied as Alex high winged Shining Armour_

_Alex looked around "__glad Seira isn't awake to see this__" Alex said as his body lit up with magic _

"_What's this__" Cadence cried as Alex's body changed shape_

_The horn on Alex's head shrunk back into his skull as two more emerged from the back of his head, his mane vanished and his tail turned solid, Alex's eyes opened to reveal a pair of black eyes as cold as obsidian and red slits appeared, Alex roared as the magic surrounding him dissipated to reveal the nightmare he kept hidden "__if I'm to hide from Sombra I'll need to use this form__" Alex explained_

_Cadence was trembling in horror "__Alex is that you big brother?__" she cried as she walked up to him and patted his nose with her wing "__it really is you how did this happen to you?__" she asked _

_Alex just smiled without revealing his teeth "__nothing happened to me dear Cadence I've always been able to do this but this is only the second time I've used it here in Equestria__" Alex explained "__Now time I got to work, is there anything else you want me to grab while I'm there__" he asked as he walked away _

"_Grab the Crystal heart without the heart itself the empire has no power and can't be used for anything it'll just be a pretty place made of crystals__" Cadence said and Alex nodded then took off vanishing into thin air_

"_What the buck was that?__" Shining Armour gasped as the shock of Alex's form wore off "__that was scary__" he cried_

_Celestia, Esmeralda and Meadow Rose just smiled "__that was Dragon, a monster that is the exact opposite of Alex that he now controls so you don't have to be scared of him__" Esmeralda said with a gentle laugh as the others joined them under the Cherry Blossom tree to talk _

_On route to the Crystal Empire_

_Alex flew through the cold north enjoying the feel of the cold on dragon's scales "__Alex if things go bad let me take over__" Dragon said as the mere thought of drawing blood after so long excited him_

_Alex just laughed "__we'll see how it goes Dragon if we find Chloe and her brother hasn't done anything to her I might let you free to get her out of there with explosive force otherwise just leave it to me please__" Alex asked _

_Dragon just laughed "__sounds like a plan but if we can't get her out quietly it'll be better off as you know I like to mass slaughter and killing a few castle guards is no fun__" Dragon said then went silent _

_Alex cloaked himself and slipped in the light detection barrier he flew there for a few moments and looked around to see if he had been detected much to his relief he wasn't so he set to work he slipped into the castle undetected and decided it would be best if he used the castle's sub realm to move around in so he walked up to the wall and merged with it and wandered the castle freely "__this will make my work easier__" he laughed as he wandered the shadow castle "__if memory serves this is the third time I've been in Equestria's shadow world, all things considered this place is pretty__" he chuckled as he looked out the window _

_Alex wandered the castle heading towards the library "__NO CLOUSE STOP PLEASE I'M YOUR SISTER YOU CAN'T DO THIS__" Chloe screamed _

_Alex looked towards the sound and he found himself looking at Chloe as her own brother was about to mount her and Alex used a little trick using crystals grabbed Clouse between the hind legs and using more crystals covered his face and put him to sleep while using more crystals to hold him up "__hello Chloe I hope I wasn't too late?__" Alex asked as he walked out of the wall_

"_Alex is that you please get him out of me it feels so wrong I don't want this not yet anyway__" Chloe cried "__where are you anyway?__" she asked as the crystal on her prevented her from turning her head _

_Alex blasted Clouse off of his sister and proceeded to release her from her bindings "__there we go my dear now turn around slowly and don't scream as I look rather scary right now__" Alex chuckled _

_Chloe turned slowly and looked at Alex "__you look horrifying__" She squeaked_

_Alex turned his head towards the door "__time to go come on__" Alex said sternly grabbing Chloe and dragging her into the shadow world "__they will never find us in here__" Alex laughed as they watched Sombra enter the torture chamber_

_Chloe was far more amused looking around the shadow world then what her own father was doing "__Alex can I be honest with you?__" Chloe asked _

_Alex gave Chloe his attention "__tell me anything that is on your mind__" Alex replied as he sat down_

_Chloe took a deep breath "__I've never actually had any love for my father and brother I only behaved the way I did to prevent myself being killed you see my magic affinity is light magic, I'm the complete opposite to my brother and father, where I detested my father for everything he had done, my bother worshiped him and wanted to be everything like him in every way__" Chloe explained_

_Alex was nodding his head "__I understand and I offer you my protection but what in the world made Clouse want to mount you, his own sister just the thought of that happening is making me ill__" Alex shuddered_

_Chloe hung her head "__the only way to corrupt a magic user of the Light Affinity is to be mounted by a user of the Dark Affinity, so by mounting and impregnating me he hoped to make me loyal to my father but being mounted by my own brother is just wrong on so many levels, I'd much rather be mounted by you as no thanks to my brother I'm now in a rather naughty mood__" she said looking at Alex and blushing_

_Alex just chuckled happily "__I'll only do it for you once just don't expect me to impregnate you alright__" Alex replied as he returned to normal _

_Chloe looked at Alex "__are you sure it's alright?__" she asked _

_Alex nodded his head and his body glowed with magic "__I can't have you in this kind of a mood I need to quiet your body down as the pheromones your body is releasing will give us away now ready yourself Chloe__" Alex said wisely and set to helping Chloe with her problem_

_Meanwhile in the normal world _

_Clouse was coming around to his father standing over him "__what hit me I didn't even see it__" Clouse whimpered _

_Sombra looked at his son "__whatever it was it had claws look at your side__" Sombra replied "__and it took Chloe and vanished it would seem you failed in corrupting her as well__" Sombra spat_

_Clouse hung his head "__sorry father I was just about to do it when I was suddenly grabbed by crystals and attacked from out of know where, but the main thing is I penetrated her so who ever has her now is in for a rough time as I'm sure she is now in a very naughty mood__" Clouse laughed "__or her pheromones will give their location away__" he snickered as he slowly got to his hooves _

"_That trick does sound quite interesting but I have already taken care of that problem now I'm somewhere in the crystal castle and I'm looking for something special can you find me and Chloe before we find what I seek and escape__" Alex said and his voice echoed throughout the castle_

_Alex dropped communication with Clouse and Sombra and started laughing "__Alex that was clever now they will be so busy trying to find what you are after that they won't find us here, where are we anyway?__" Chloe asked innocently and she looked at her rump "__I feel fantastic, you know how to treat a girl don't you__" she giggled_

_Alex looked behind him and grinned "__it was my pleasure to help Chloe and it was for our own safety that I do it so I apologise if my reasons seem bad__" Alex replied _

_Chloe bounced up beside Alex "__not at all I understand your reasons and I agree with you so once again where are we?__" she asked_

_Alex just smiled "__welcome to the dark side of Equestria Chloe there aren't many ponies who know about this place as none but a select few can enter here, the only reason you're here is because I brought you here now shall we get to work__" Alex chuckled and Chloe nodded her head_

_They headed outside and they saw the crystal heart "__are you after the Crystal Heart Alex?__" Chloe asked_

_Alex nodded his head "__yes that's one of my targets now watch this I'm going to steal it right out from under their noses__" Alex laughed _

_Chloe watched as Alex's wings slipped out of view then returned with the Crystal Heart and she started laughing "__that was fantastic and look at them they have no idea that it's gone what idiots__" Chloe laughed loudly as she and Alex watched them for nearly an hour laughing like crazy _

_Alex calmed himself down "__ok come on while these idiots are oblivious to the Crystal Heart's disappearance we have to move on to our second target which is in the library__" Alex snickered and he led the way back to the library_

_It took them five minutes to reach the library and it was oddly empty "__wait here Chloe__" Alex said and he took on his dragon form and slipped out of the shadow world and snuck around invisible "__let's see here registries of births deaths and marriages, oh my look at them all__" Alex said quietly _

"_WHO'S THERE?__" a voice called and Alex dived back into the shadow world _

_Chloe raced over to him "__Alex are you alright?__" Chloe asked _

_Alex stood up "__that was far too close I was almost caught__" Alex snickered as the experience made him rather excited as the game was going to continue_

_Chloe and Alex watched the guard wander off "__try again Alex but be quick__" Chloe suggested _

_Alex slipped back grabbed all the books labelled Birth's Death's and Marriage's then returned to the shadow world "__Smooth as silk__" Alex chuckled then opened communications again "__Sorry to say that you all have failed I have what I came for and now I'll be heading home so better luck next time and bye__" Alex laughed and closed the magic link again _

_Chloe looked at Alex scared "__are you really taking me home with you?__" she asked_

_Alex smiled "__the rest of the family know you are not a bad pony and they have agreed that protecting you will be a good idea, just know we will be performing some examinations on you to make sure your father and brother haven't done anything to you that will risk the safety of the family it's not that we don't trust you we just want to make sure your healthy and we all stay safe__" Alex explained_

_Chloe nodded her head "__I understand and I accept your decision come on let's get out of here__" Chloe said and they left the Crystal empire in the safety of the shadow world_

_Meanwhile back in the Everfree Forest _

_Cadence was sitting with the family happily singing "__mother where is Uncle Alex I was hoping he could give me a bath__" Seira whimpered as her favourite Uncle in the world wasn't even home_

"_Be patient dear Uncle Alex is on a dangerous mission of great importance to the Crystal Empire I hope he stays safe__" Cadence replied _

"_Honestly Alex travelling like this is actually quite fast I'm impressed__" Chloe's voice said _

_The others looked around for the Voice "__Indeed and I think I'm the only one in the Equestrian Royal Family that knows how to enter Equestria's shadow world__" Alex's voice replied _

_The family screamed in horror as Alex and Chloe appeared out of thin air "__Alex you're home__" Celestia cried and pounced on Alex "__please tell me you're not hurt and who might this be she is gorgeous?__" Celestia said looking at Chloe_

_Alex got to his hooves "__I'm injury free my dear and this is Sombra's daughter Chloe she has no love for her father__" Alex explained then looked at Chloe "__what I'm about to tell you is going to make you all sick to your stomach__" Alex snapped "__when I found Chloe she was imprisoned and about to be mounted by her own brother he had just penetrated her when I arrived to stop him__" Alex said darkly as his eyes flashed red_

_Esmeralda was looking at Chloe "__you poor darling did he really try to mount you?__" she gasped_

_Chloe nodded her head "__yes he did but Alex saved me just as my brother entered my body so I wasn't corrupted by his dark magics, but for the sake of the mission he was on Alex couldn't risk me giving our position away so he mounted me instead but he cast several spells on himself so I wouldn't get pregnant__" Chloe explained_

_Novalis nodded his head "__A mare in heat is a liability to any stealth mission as the pheromones she releases gives away her location at all times, so Alex did the right thing__" Novalis said _

_Esmeralda was looking at Chloe with a snide smirk "__something tells me Alex was your first time so how was he?__" Esmeralda giggled_

_Chloe went red in the face "__it was nice to be honest I really enjoyed it, he was gentle and I wasn't in any pain and don't get me started on his technique, I doubt I'll find another stallion with his skill__" Chloe laughed_

_Celestia and Esmeralda looked at each other "__sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Alex belongs to us but mostly to Celestia as they are married__" Esmeralda giggled_

_Lauren walked up to Chloe "__would you come with me dear I need to make sure your safe for yourself and for us__" Lauren said and guided Chloe away_

_Cadence turned to Alex "__tell me you succeeded Alex please?__" Cadence asked _

_Alex could see the hope in her eyes and he decided to have some fun and hung his head in shame "__I'm sorry but I failed__" he said then started laughing "__I failed to fail the mission here you are Cadence just what you wanted, now I wasn't sure what book you wanted so I brought them all with me__" Alex laughed hysterically _

_Cadence just grinned "__naughty stallion and thank you__" Cadence giggled _

_Novalis started looking at the books "__these have all the families that are currently in Canterlot right now correct?__" Novalis asked as he looked up at Cadence and Shining Armour_

"_That's correct it should help us reunite the families that were separated during the evacuation__" Shining Armour replied _

_Novalis and Shining Armour gathered up the books and returned to Canterlot and the mares looked at Alex "__Uncle Alex can I be a pain in the rump and ask you to give me a bath just for old time's sake please?__" Seira asked sweetly_

_Alex looked at the Cherry Blossom trees that surrounded his home "__I don't see why not as I need a bath myself__" Alex laughed and looked at the other ladies "__come on I'll give the rest of you a bath as well but Seira is first as she asked so nicely__" he chuckled and made his way to the bath _

_Seira reared up onto her hind legs in excitement "__yay__" she cheered and dashed to the bath with the other mares close behind her_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

_The passing months saw Alex drawing Runes around each town in Equestria these would activate the moment Sombra and his forces so much approached and would alert Alex and the rest of the royal family to their location instantly Chloe had been given a specially made charm that would protect her from any sort of mind control methods Celestia, Lauren and Esmeralda were heavily protected by Novalis's protection spells, The Paladins of Harmony took to training the royal guards making them stronger than ever before._

_Alex was with Celestia and Esmeralda at home and both mares were showing their pregnancies "__Alex is it really necessary to fight if we lose you again I don't know what I'm going to do__" Celestia cried as she sat between his front hooves while Esmeralda sat beside him _

_Alex grabbed Celestia with his hooves then Esmeralda with his wings and pulled both of them in close to himself, after what they had told him they liked about him, Alex had come to accept both of them as very special mares in his life "__I promise you ladies this i won't be dying on you__" Alex said happily_

_Alex felt a mare lay herself across his back "__am I counted in this happy little circle too?__" Meracle asked_

_Celestia and Esmeralda looked at each other than at Alex "__of course you are Meracle but Alex has his hooves full with me and Esmeralda so I hope you don't mind when i say I don't want to share him anymore than I already am__" Celestia replied kindly_

"_ALEX we have big trouble Sombra and his forces have been spotted 3 hours north of Manehattan, messengers have been sent to all divisions and are moving to intercept we request that you join us when you can__" Nero said as he looked at Alex and the mares "__I best get back to the front__" he gasped and took off again _

_Alex took a deep breath "__with my speed I can be there in half an hour so I have some play time, what do you think Meracle wanna talk with me before I go?__" Alex laughed_

_Meracle looked at the others and they nodded at her "__sure thing__" she giggled_

_Alex led Meracle to the room swinging his tail from left to right as he walked along "__don't keep him waiting Meracle__" Celestia giggled _

_Alex sat in his room and he waited for Meracle "__Alex I'm here and it's clear as day that you're not really in the mood to play__" Meracle chuckled merrily _

_Alex looked at her and smiled "__if you were married to me how, would you feel about me having another mare in my life and your sister no less?__" Alex asked looking at her_

_Meracle placed herself in front of Alex "__Truthfully I would be annoyed and would most likely tell my sister to leave you alone as you belonged to me but the real question is Alex how do you feel about this?__" Meracle asked_

_Alex went red in the face "__I honestly don't know what to think actually I feel that I'm not deserving enough to have Celestia as my wife let alone be with two beautiful mares at the same time, I often think to myself that maybe they could have chosen better than me__" Alex replied _

_Alex emerged from his room half an hour later "__time to get to work__" Alex said as he magically attached his armour to his body _

_Meracle walked past Alex to Celestia and Esmeralda and Meadow had returned for a visit too "__Alex allow us to bless your armour for you__" Meracle said happily_

"_By the enchanted light of the sun, within the glowing embrace of your soul, in the serene glory of nature, cradled by the loving care of the ocean, may you return to us in victory and forever leave your enemies in history__" the four mares chanted together and Alex's armour pulsed_

_Alex hugged all four mares "__thank you ladies I'll be home soon ok__" Alex said and with one more hug to all of them he took flight and approached the battle field and came to a skidding stop to fall in place next to Novalis_

"_Glad you could join us Alex__" Novalis said happily_

_Alex just smiled evilly "__I've trained hard for this there is no way I'm missing this for the anything except the birth of the foals__" Alex said quietly so the enemy couldn't hear him _

_Novalis nodded his head "__I understand your reasoning Alex now would you send the orders to attack__" Novalis ordered_

_Alex walked out alone and his body started to glow, as he walked along his feathers fell out and his body changed "__what's this?__" Clouse wondered as he stood next to his father at the front of his army "__whatever he is doing don't let him finish it ATTACK__" Clouse ordered and the army charged_

_Alex roared with the ferocity of a dragon "__ATTACK__" Alex roared as his body changed and he charged in ahead of his forces_

"_Guard your fellow soldiers and get the wounded off the battlefield immediately, limit the casualties of your allies and maximise those of your enemies, and if you encounter Sombra get away from him at once__" Novalis ordered as he ran alongside his forces _

_Alex was dancing around Sombra's forces ripping them apart with his wings and teeth "__Hey dragon you're up__" Alex laughed_

_Dragon roared with primal fury as all of Alex's hatred and anger flowed through him and he started massacring the enemy "__He actually let Dragon out ALL FORCES FALL BACK STAY OUT OF ALEX'S WAY__" Nero ordered and the Equestrian army halted its advance _

_Novalis watched horrified "__so that's the monster that slaughtered an entire town then?__" he said as he watched Dragon rip the enemy apart_

_Sombra and Clouse watched as their forces dropped like flies "__FALL BACK AND REGROUP__" Sombra ordered_

"_DRAGON GET BACK HERE AS WELL__" Novalis called_

_Dragon looked behind him and nodded "__At once master__" he replied_

_Nero looked at Novalis impressed "__amazing Novalis, Dragon has recognised you as superior to himself and is obeying__" Nero laughed "__no pony has ever been able to control him with so little effort he might be an asset in this fight__" Nero said looking at Dragon without fear for the first time "__Glad to be working beside you Dragon let's teach these guys a lesson__" Nero chuckled_

_Dragon looked at Nero "__agreed Young Nero may this battle bring us glory__" Dragon replied _

_Clouse stepped forward laughing "__it's clear that with that monster on your side we don't have much of a chance so let's do it this way__" he laughed and with a flash of magic Dragon found himself surrounded by a vast number of enemies_

_Dragon smiled as he looked around "__this is way more then what was in the city I slaughtered so many years ago, Make my day boys LET'S PARTY__" he roared and attacked _

_In another part of the battlefield_

_Viola found herself surrounded and alone and she could hear dragon laughing hysterically in the distance "__I can't let Dragon have all the fun__" she snickered _

_Clouse was with Viola "__so you are Viola Theotanasia the Princess of Destruction, a potent killer, younger sister to Alexander Theotanasia and Twin Sister to Nero Theotanasia, Wife to Blue Blood and mother to Phoenix Rose__" Clouse said looking at Viola "__you are remarkably pretty if I can I would like to make you mine__" he laughed _

_Viola was annoyed that the enemy knew so much about her "__sorry you're cute and all but I don't plan on replacing my darling Blue Blood for a very long time__" Viola snapped_

_Clouse just laughed "__well allow me to ruffle your feather a little__" Clouse chuckled_

"_Your mother was a Pegasus right so was Chloe the only one born an Alicorn or did you just get the short end of the stick?__" Viola snickered _

_Clouse was annoyed as that topic was always very sensitive to him "__Well if you want to bring up sensitive matters tell me if you remember this?__" he snapped and flipped his hood up _

_Viola's eyes went wide with shock "__it was you, you're the one who killed my beloved Blue Blood__" she cried as the memory made her take a step back _

_Viola suddenly felt herself within the recesses of her mind "__looks like you found him again Viola so what do you want to do?__" a voice asked _

_Viola looked around her "__I want to kill him for taking my husband and Phoenix Rose's father away from us but I'm also very scared as well, who are you anyway?__" Viola replied _

_A beast of Flame and feathers appeared before her "__I am Phoenix your inner sacred beast, just like Dragon is for Alex and if you will allow it I will be your rage of vengeance against the one who slew your husband and your baby girls father__" Phoenix said sweetly _

_Viola liked the sound of her offer "__I accept please grant me victory in my time of need__" Viola asked and walked towards Phoenix _

"_Maybe the battlefield burn in your splendour__" Phoenix replied and grabbed Viola with her wings_

_Clouse watched confused as Viola stood there "__don't mind me my dear I'll just help myself__" he laughed and made his way towards Viola with the intent of mounting her "__I'm going to enjoy this as I was denied mounting my own sister I've been rather uncomfortable lately can you satisfy me I wonder__" he asked_

_Viola's body suddenly exploded into flames "__try and touch us again and we will do more than just burn your flesh away__" Phoenix snapped as Clouse bounced away from her several times _

_Clouse was annoyed that he was denied again "__What happened to Viola you freak?__" Clouse roared as he stood back up_

_Phoenix just chuckled merrily "__what happened to Viola he asks, such a silly stallion__" Phoenix giggled and then her expression turned sinister "__I am Viola you idiot and I'm going to kill you violently__" she snapped and turned Clouse's soldiers to dust with a single beat of her burning wings "__now it's your turn big boy try and keep me satisfied won't you__" Phoenix giggled _

_Clouse attacked in a blind rage "__I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BITCH__" he roared _

_At another location on the Battlefield_

_Nero was sitting down completely bored "__I detest senseless violence__" Nero yawned sleepily_

_The leader of the Division that Nero was versing was getting annoyed "__Nero Theotanasia Younger Brother to Alexander Theotanasia and Twin Brother to Viola Theotanasia, Husband to Rarity the Princess of Generosity and father to Gem and Ruby, no remarkable Abilities that we know of to this date as you prefer reading a book over fighting__" the Commander said as he looked at Nero _

_Nero didn't even care enough to budge he was just listening to Dragon have the time of his life "__so you know about me big deal__" Nero said lazily _

_The commander just smiled "__once I'm done killing you I think I'll take Rarity, Gem and Ruby and force them to bear my foals__" he laughed_

_That did it Nero was given the trigger to his anger "__Comet let's show them why I detest Violence__" Nero snapped as his dark brown eyes turned Cosmos black and his mane and tail resembled that of nightmare moon_

_Comet looked around him "__I was wondering when you were going to let me out Nero now let's skip introductions and get straight to the killing__" he laughed and attacked without warning_

_Yet another Location on the battlefield_

_The Princesses of Harmony stood back to back "__you poor mares allow us to keep you company__" the commander chuckled happily_

_The Princesses didn't even bother talking they just attacked and ended their fight quickly just like they were trained "__ok girls find the others and help where you can just stay out of Alex and Dragon's way unless you want to die__" Twilight instructed and the girls scattered_

_Back at Dragon's location_

_Dragon was having a blast it had been nearly an hour when he started his rampage and there was still more for him to kill "__this is the best day ever and I can sense Phoenix and Comet have been freed__" Dragon laughed when he sensed something coming_

"_I KNEW FLYING ON MY OWN WAS A BAD IDEA__" a voice cried as the stallion landed badly _

_Dragon closed his eyes upon the stallions impact "__Alex you take over you know I'm no good with delicacy__" Dragon chuckled and even returned Alex to his Alicorn form_

_Alex gave himself a shake as the wind ran through his coat, mane and tail "__Excellent Work dragon I'll let you back out to finish the fight shortly as I can sense you still crave blood__" Alex laughed and walked over to the crashed stallion_

"_There is something familiar about this stallion Alex like we've met him before__" Dragon said inside Alex's head_

_Alex nodded his head "__yes he carries the same smell as Ladimay but his presence feels like my old assassination partner Leiam what do you think Dragon could he have found a way to get here or end up here by accident?__" Alex asked _

_The Stallion got to his hooves and fell straight back down again "__I'm still not used to walking in this form yet, Excuse me I was told I could find Alexander Theotanasia in a place called Equestria, My name is Leiam Bladeright__" Leiam said politely _

_Alex defended Leiam from an oncoming attack "__now's not the time for talking I'll teach you how to walk and fight now you this is for you__" Alex replied touching his horn to Leiam's then putting him down_

_Leiam walked in circles for a bit "__thanks bro that helps big time WHOA__" Leiam gasped as he back flipped out of the way of another attack "__you're going to regret that__" he snapped and attacked _

_Alex was right beside him and their attacks were synchronised "__Leiam you said you're looking for Alexander Theotanasia well allow me to introduce myself__" Alex chuckled as he and Leiam jumped back some distance from the enemy "__My name is Alexander Theotanasia, Husband to Celestia, Father to Melody, Noelle, Hanon, Jaide, Pearl, Lukas and Rino, it's good to see you again partner now do me a favour hold them off for a few moments for me__" Alex said and his body lit up_

_Dragon appeared again "__let's get back to the feast__" Dragon hissed and took off to join the attack again_

_At Novalis's location_

_Novalis was breathing heavily he had a gash in his face and several down his side when Fluttershy landed next to him and set straight to work "__Don't let that mare heal him, Fluttershy is the best medic they have kill her quickly__" the commander called _

_Seira appeared out of thin air and erected a barrier so fast it made the commanders head spin "__not on my watch you are not touching aunty Fluttershy__" Seira snapped_

_Novalis took a deep breath "__thank you girls for the timely save I honestly thought I might not be heading home after this__" Novalis chuckled nervously then looked in the direction he could sense Dragon "__you can feel his blood lust it's unrelenting so that's the Dragon of Arunami talk about scary__" Novalis said as another wave of magic hit Seira's barrier_

"_Aunty Fluttershy please hurry my barrier won't hold much longer__" Seira called_

_Fluttershy finished the healing and backed up "__Seira I'm done__" Fluttershy called _

_An explosion of magic erupted from the east wall "__I'm still hungry__" Dragon hissed _

_Novalis, Fluttershy and Seira backed up in fright "__wasn't expecting him so quickly__" Novalis laughed _

_Leiam looked at Novalis and the two mares then joined them "__sorry about this but Alex and I cleared his sector pretty quick and sensed you were in a bit of trouble and came to help, I'm Leiam Bladeright A pleasure to meet you__" Leiam said with a bow_

_Meanwhile at Viola's location_

_Phoenix was having a blast "__what's the matter Clouse you don't look so good dear and you were doing so well too__" Phoenix giggled happily_

"_Stop playing with him Phoenix and finish him__" Viola hissed _

_Phoenix just straightened herself up "__I suppose I should and it would just mean Chloe would never have to worry about seeing her brother again now where did she say his weak spot was again oh right HERE__" Phoenix snapped and hit Clouse in the lower spin with such force that it snapped_

_Clouse was screaming in agony not only had his weak spot been hit but his spine had been snapped "__FATHER HELP ME__" Clouse cried "__oh no I can't feel my hind legs what am I going to do?__" he whimpered _

_Phoenix leered over him then let Viola back out "__for the crimes of Murder, attempted rape and Incest I sentence you to death__" Viola snapped and used her psychic Wingblade extensions to claim Clouse's head, once done she looked at the sky "__Blue Blood honey I've finally done it the monster who took you from me has died by my own hooves now rest in peace dear I'll finally be able to move on__" Viola cried and took flight to leave her sector of the war zone_

_Viola saw Comet having an absolute blast of a time ripping his sector apart and noticed the mass carnage that had been left in dragon's wake, __VIOLA DO WHAT YOU CAN TO HELP THE OTHER TROOPS EVACUATE THE WOUNDED AND GET THE DECEASED OUT OF HERE__" Novalis ordered and Viola set to work_

_Macintosh was having fun "__I never knew a war of this size could be so fun__" he laughed_

"_Don't start enjoying this Mac killing our fellow ponies doesn't feel right, remember what Alex said the moment it starts getting easier is the moment you're in trouble__" Soarin said as he landed next to Macintosh _

_Macintosh shook his head "__you're right thanks Soarin__" Macintosh replied_

_Rainbow Dash landed with the Paladins of Harmony "__is anypony hurt?__" she asked _

_Soarin pointed to Clutterstep "__Clutterstep took a heavy blow to the head and I think his skull may be fractured get him out of here Rainbow we'll finish this__" Soarin said _

_Rainbow Dash examined Clutterstep before moving him "__you took a good one didn't you Clutter hang on big guy I'll have you out of here in a moment__" Rainbow said sweetly magically lifting Clutterstep off the ground and flying away _

_Sombra was watching the fight progress "__the Equestrian Army is quiet formidable indeed maybe I'll join the fight soon and it seems Clouse bit off more than he could chew the fool, oh well no matter now who should I start with?__" Sombra wondered "__no I think I'll sit here until they find me__" he laughed _

_It was weeks later that the Equestrian army finally stomped out all of Sombra's forces "__where did he find all those ponies?__" Rainbow complained as they sat at the camp to rest "__and how is Alex not even injured?__" she asked as she looked at Alex who was still in his scaled form_

_Novalis looked at Alex as well "__it's just my guess but those scales of his must be a perfect defence against all attacks both magical and weapon so how are our casualties looking__" Novalis asked _

_Fluttershy came into view "__out of the nearly sixty five thousand we had with us we have only lost three hundred and twenty, we've managed to recover all of the bodies and are getting ready to send them home__" Fluttershy explained _

"_Don't send them home just yet if we can I want to give them a heroes burial they fought like champions defending their homes and loved ones so in my opinion a heroes burial will do them honour__" Alex said as he returned to normal _

_Nero was looking around the wounded "__easy friend if you move too much you're going to die stay still until Fluttershy can get to you, we really need more medics here__" Nero snapped_

"_Maybe we can be of assistance?__" Lauren said happily as she, Celestia, Esmeralda, Meadow, Meracle and Chloe landed at the camp "__come on girls let's help heal these ponies and get them home__" Lauren giggled and the mares set to work_

_Chloe looked around "__what happened to my brother Clouse please tell me he's dead?__" she asked_

_Alex patted Chloe's head with his wings "__Viola got him, and did she get him good or what__" Alex chuckled_

_Viola walked up to Chloe "__your brother will never bother you again Chloe, you could say after his defeat he kind of lost his head__" Viola giggled _

_Chloe sighed in relief "__just who is this beautiful mare Alex she is gorgeous?__" Leiam said as he looked at Chloe_

_Alex looked at Leiam impressed "__this is Chloe the daughter to the leader of the army we spent the last few weeks stomping out__" Alex explained "__and don't worry she is nothing like her father and twin brother this young one is an angel__" Alex said as he continued to pat Chloe's head_

_Chloe just started blushing "__Alex please your flattery is too much__" she giggled _

_Celestia landed on Alex's back "__so the fight's over then?__" Celestia asked sweetly_

_Alex shook his head "__not quite all that's left is Sombra himself__" Alex replied_

"_But what makes you think he hasn't run away by now?__" Celestia said as Alex looked at her_

_Alex just chuckled "__because he is sitting just over there__" Alex laughed as he pointed to Sombra taking a nap by the mountains "__we can't attack him as he has a barrier around him so while he naps we are tending to the wounded and relaxing for a bit but I plan on destroying him in a few days__" Alex explained _

_Twilight was looking for Clutterstep "__Has anypony seen Clutterstep?__" she asked as she looked around_

_Alex looked around "__now that you mention it where is he?__" Alex wondered and took to the sky and Twilight joined him "__look there he is by the lake I guess he just wanted to wash his face__" Alex laughed as he and Twilight took off the get Clutterstep_

_Clutterstep noticed their arrival "__you must think I'm useless for being taken out on the first day of fighting__" Clutterstep whimpered slamming his hoof on the water's surface _

_Alex sat beside him "__not at all Clutterstep you did amazingly well and from what the others told me your bouncing light spell took out a lot of the enemy, that's not an easy thing to do, now come on let's get back to camp so you can rest just know we are all proud of you__" Alex said_

_Clutterstep smiled "__thanks Alex I needed that__" he chuckled and joined them back at camp _

_Alex had sat down and Chloe had placed herself in front of him and Alex was patting her head again with his wing "__she likes that doesn't she?__" Meracle giggled "__I wonder what it feels like?__" she wondered _

_Alex started patting Meracle's head with his wing as well "__only one way to find out right__" Alex chuckled_

_An explosion of Magic at Sombra's location told Alex that Sombra was awake and ready for combat "__let's do this Alicorn and once I kill you I'll make sure you never come back again__" Sombra hissed_

_Alex walked forward "__if I fail some pony else take over and try not to let me die again please I don't want to leave the girls behind again__" Alex chuckled_

"_On a helpless but a pretty night soothing and comforting and prospering on the islands surrounded by the lively and bright fields of heaven as i of this moment make this promise to join like twins like a string of breathes winds grab a hold of us, i at this moment and through eternity wear the wings of the red soul as i make this promise and bind my soul to yours this is my prayer of reawakening messengers of the wind conserve you hidden within the darkness before the break of dawn gather before and quickly awaken the soul as dawn slowly approaches let us put our dreams together against the hazy moon now we two are one joined in the darkness of night lit by moon beams and strengthened by dreams__" Alex chanted as his armor pulsed with radiant light_

_Nero's ears pricked up "__I haven't heard that in a long time wow it seems he doesn't plan on losing__" Nero explained_

_Celestia stood beside Nero "__what was that enchantment Nero it sounded powerful?__" Celestia asked as she watched Alex _

_Nero shook his head "__that prayer has no power Alex only ever used that as a form of resolve to not quit and never give up the fight__" Nero replied _

_They watched for days as Alex and Sombra collided giving neither one an inch, Sombra had sliced off all four of Alex's wings grounding him which Alex didn't seem to care much, Alex had used his horn and ripped Sombra open but like Alex Sombra ignored his wounds "__these two aren't quitting are they?__" Seira asked as she watched her favourite Uncle take another wound to the chest_

_Alex and Sombra collided again and again "__Alex we have been at this several days what say we end this with our next attack?__" Sombra asked breathing heavily_

_Alex was breathing heavily as well nearing his limits just like Sombra "__Sounds good to me Sombra and just know fighting you has been an honour__" Alex replied and magiced one of his wings into his mouth_

_Sombra nodded "__Likewise Prince of Equestria__" Sombra laughed and he readied his scythe_

_Sombra and Alex looked at each other "__LET'S END THIS__" they roared and charged_

_The resulting explosion of magic threw large amounts of dust into the air and the Equestrian army waited with battered breath, as the smoke cleared Sombra and Alex were still standing and facing away from each other "__so who won?__" Esmeralda asked _

_Alex kneeled down as Sombra collapsed to the ground, Alex walked over to Sombra "__Is that you Alexander?__" Sombra coughed as he threw up a large amount of blood_

"_Yes it is__" Alex replied _

_Sombra looked very peaceful to Alex as he was dying "__can I ask you for two things?__" Sombra asked "__my vision is gone so I can't exactly see you right now but can I ask you to look after Chloe for me while my son and I may have been evil to the core she was always a good girl growing up and I would like to leave her with a mentor that is reliable like yourself and my second request is take my scythe as your prize and with it remember this battle that has brought us both honour__" Sombra asked as he finally faded_

_Alex looked at Sombra's scythe and magiced it to his side "__Leave your little girl with me Sombra and May you finally know peace in the hooves of the maker__" Alex said kindly "__thank heavens it's over__" Alex gasped and laid himself down_

_The loud cheering from the camp made Alex close his ears and Celestia and Meracle were racing over to him "__Alex what are we going to do about your wings?__" Celestia asked as she examined Alex's wings _

"_Who cares about his wings right now we need to get him healed come on girls let's get him to camp as I don't think he can move right now__" Meadow Rose said with a laugh_

_Esmeralda gathered up Alex's wings and returned them to camp while Meracle grabbed Sombra's corpse knowing full well that Alex's honour would want Sombra to be buried not just left there "__somepony place Sombra's corpse in a body bag so Alex can bury him__" Meracle ordered as she laid Sombra's corpse back down on the ground_

_Leiam Nero and Viola walked up to Alex with smiles on their faces "__still as strong as ever and you won this time, Alex well done take a long needed rest__" Viola said _

_Alex struggled to get to his hooves "__do we have all the names of the ponies we lost during the main fight?__" Alex asked as he walked towards where all the fallen were placed neatly side by side "__give a list of the names of the fallen to the stone masons and have them engrave the names into the plaques that are going to be mounted onto the statues that will be placed in each city so these heroes are never forgotten this great victory was due to their sacrifice and I plan on remembering them__" Alex announced and the army opened all the body bags to identify all the ponies they had lost _

_They arrived in Canterlot to a standing ovation and when the fallen were brought through Silence was held in their memory, Alex was sent to the hospital for the refitting of his wings "__it's a good thing Alex's wings were sliced at an angle or else he would never fly again, now Alex this is going to hurt__" the doctor explained and the rammed the shard point of the detached wing straight into the open wound_

_Celestia, Esmeralda, Meadow Rose and Meracle all looked away and closed their ears as Alex started screaming in agony and his screams could be heard all across the hospital "__that has to hurt__" Meadow cried as she watched Alex struggle to get free and away from all the pain "__we are going to have to baby him for a bit once he is out of the hospital, now what are they doing to him now?__" she gasped and the doctors sliced Alex's wings open_

_Celestia winced in pain "__they are reattaching his nerves so he can use his wings again oh the poor dear look at the pain he is in__" Celestia whimpered _

_Novalis appeared a while later "__hey there ladies how is Alex fairing?__" he asked with a gentle laugh "__he seems to be in pain huh?__" he said looking stern_

_Esmeralda turned to her father "__no father you think__" she snapped _

_Meracle poked Esmeralda's belly "__remember to many negative emotions can have negative effects on the foal__" Meracle giggled _

"_Where are you ladies planning on staying while Alex recovers?__" Lauren asked appearing out of thin air making the four mares look at it each other "__well you ladies can stay at the castle in Alex's room as Novalis and I didn't touch it knowing full well we intended to have Alex return to the castle__" Lauren giggled happily "__come on you'll like what we've done to it there are now several cribs in the room and a brand new foal bath in the bath room we've also fully stocked the room in preparation for the Foals__" Lauren announced happily_

_Novalis guided the pregnant mares back to the castle and led them to Alex's room which remained untouched except the new cradles that were added for foals "__what do you ladies think nice isn't it except for the new items the room has been kept exactly the same__" Novalis laughed _

_Lauren stepped forward "__just know that once Alex is clear to leave the hospital we'll be bringing you all back here to the castle for a while to get you away from the forest at least until the foals are born__" Lauren said happily_

_Celestia, Esmeralda, Meadow Rose and Meracle looked around the room "__it's lovely and I think Alex will love it, hard to believe there is only two months left till the little ones arrive__" Celestia said happily_

_Meanwhile back at Canterlot Hospital_

_Alex laid on the bed he was given in extreme pain "__they couldn't have done that more gently__" Alex snapped as he looked at his wings and winced in pain "__damn it that stings ugh I need Fluttershy, Buck this I'm outta here__" Alex said darkly and got to his hooves and walked out of his room_

_The doctors had noticed Alex leave his room "__you noticed that you're allowed to leave have you if the pain is still there in the morning come back and we'll fix it for you Alex until then take care not to bump your wings too much__" the nurses said with a smile _

_Alex could never stay angry when a pony smiled at him so gently "__thank you ladies I will__" Alex replied then leaned in to whisper to the nurses "__the doctor that worked on my wings I would have him sent back to med school as he wasn't exactly professional either that or have him fired__" Alex said quietly_

"_Of course Alex and if that is the case we'll have to ask you to stay so we can undo his procedure and redo it and hopefully you won't be in as much pain__" the nurses said and led Alex back to the operating room "__please lay down Alex we'll get to work on you shortly__" they said again and Alex did as he was told_

_The nurses left the room to find the doctor that had worked on Alex originally "__there you are Doctor Maxwell please come here__" the eldest nurse said angrily_

_Maxwell looked at the nurses approaching him "__Head Nurse River Song what seems to be the problem?__" he asked _

_River Song looked at her colleagues "__Your procedure that you used on Prince Alexander has left him in great pain and we are having to redo it more gently but as of this moment I'm sending you back to med school and you had better pass with full marks otherwise you're fired take him back to class girls__" River Song said sternly and then made her way back to Alex's room "__Julious please help me detach then reattach prince Alex's wings as Maxwell's method has left the great prince in a world of pain__" River song called_

_Julious jumped to his hooves "__of course head nurse I'd be more than happy to help__" he said and walked with her _

_Julious and River Song walked into Alex's room just in time to see him psychically rip all four of his wings back out "__that's painful to watch__" River song whimpered_

_Julious winced in pain "__how can he do that to himself that must really hurt?__" he asked as he magiced Alex's wings off the floor "__a pleasure to meet you Alexander my name is Julious and I'll be reattaching your wings for you now I'm going to put you to sleep so I can work on you a bit better and hopefully leave you in less pain__" Julious explained as he and River Song attached all the equipment needed to Alex and set to work_

_The Princesses of Harmony had arrived in the company of their beloved husbands to see how Alex was doing "__Celestia said the operation that Alex was going through was rather rough__" Nero said with a laugh as Rarity was on his back "__I must say you ladies fought well during the fight I'm glad we didn't lose any of you imagine Alex's trauma__" he added_

_Rarity just bit Nero's ear "__well Alex trained us personally so if we had died he probably would have felt a lot worse__" Rarity explained _

"_I for one am glad we all made it out alive__" Fluttershy said happily_

_They arrived at Alex's room to find him absent "__if you are looking for Prince Alex he has been taken back to the operating room to have the procedure redone a different way as he was in a lot of pain from Doctor Maxwell's procedure he is right now in the care of Head Nurse River Song and Head Doctor Julious__" A nurse said happily "__my name is Daisy and if you would be kind enough to follow me I'll take you all to Prince Alex now__" Daisy giggled as she led the way _

_Meadow Rose returned to the hospital alone, as she walked towards Alex's room she noticed the Princesses and Paladins of Harmony looking in a window "__what are you all looking at?__" Meadow asked quietly_

_Rarity looked at Meadow Rose "__oh hello Meadow we are just watching them redo Alex's procedure as Doctor Maxwell's procedure left him in too much pain__" Rarity explained _

_Meadow turned her attention to Alex in the operating room "__that looks much better and a lot less painful too__" she said as she watched Alex with the others_

"_Excuse us please it's almost time to bring Prince Alexander out__" a nurse said as she passed by and into the room_

_They watched as Head Doctor Julious closed up his incisions and added some special clamps to Alex's wings to prevent his work from coming undone "__there we go all done and hopefully he won't be in any pain and just to make sure I'll strap his wings closed and once he wakes up he will be free to go home to his family__" Julious explained and then he helped River Song put the straps on Alex's wings_

_Meadow and the others stepped out of the way as the nurses wheeled Alex out of the operating room and back into his own room "__doctor is there any time limit until he can come home?__" Meadow asked_

_Doctor Julious just looked at Meadow and smiled "__once he is awake I want to keep him here for about an extra hour to make sure he isn't in any pain then he is free to go home but I must ask that Alex's wife refrain from leaning on his wings as they can't be used for the next three or four months__" Julious explained_

"_We'll be staying in Canterlot Castle and I'll inform the guards that you may be stopping by to check on him so you won't have to worry about that__" Meadow explained and she turned to Princesses and Paladins of Harmony "__head to the castle everypony I'll return once Alex is awake and cleared to leave__" she said and they all left_

_Meanwhile back in Canterlot Castle _

_Celestia was happily cleaning the room as it was a little dusty "__I've missed being in this room so many happy memories in here I'll have to ask mother and father if we can move back in?__" Celestia giggled_

_Celestia was completely unaware that her parents were at the door "__what do you think dear should we allow Alex and the girls to come back home to Canterlot?__" Lauren said just loud enough for Novalis to hear_

"_I don't see why not I'll be honest not having Celestia in the castle has made the castle feel rather empty so I look forward to having Alex and the girls home__" Novalis replied keeping his voice down _

_Celestia finally noticed her parents at the door "__Mother, Father I was wondering if Alex, the young ones and I could all move back into the castle?__" Celestia asked_

_Lauren and Novalis looked at each other with a straight face "__can you give us some time to think it over please Celestia we promise we'll have an answer for you by the time Alex has recovered__" Novalis said with a gentle smile then he and Lauren wandered off "__what do you think dear shall we prepare a Canterlot wide welcome home party?__" Novalis laughed_

_Lauren nodded her head "__I'll spread the word but tell them to keep it quiet and while Alex recovers we'll prepare__" Lauren replied "__oh I wonder what kind of Gifts the citizens will give them in celebration of their return__" she giggled _

_Novalis nodded his head "__agreed but I'm sure the foals will be more than enough of a present for Alex as he likes the life were he has somepony to look after so the foals that are expected this year are really going to lighten up his life for many years to come__" Novalis explained then looked at Lauren "__and our foal will bring just as much light to our lives as their older sisters did__" he said as he looked at Laurens belly _

"_Well you'll be happy to know that she is carrying a Colt__" Alex said as he and Meadow Rose walked into the throne room_

_Novalis and Lauren looked at Alex and his golden eyes told them that he wasn't lying "__Really Alex you're not pulling our tails?__" Lauren cried _

_Alex smiled "__I've told you once before dear Lauren I take no pleasure in playing with a mare's heart__" Alex replied gently and kissed Lauren's forehead as he walked past_

_Lauren noticed Alex's wing Clamps "__how are your wings feeling Alex?__" Lauren asked as she nudged Alex's wings _

_Alex winced in pain "__I'm stuck like this for the next four months, doctor's orders and I'm sure the ladies wouldn't be impressed with me if I went against doctor's orders__" Alex chuckled_

_Meadow Rose poked Alex's wings with her nose "__you got that right mister now off to bed with you__" she laughed and Alex did as he was told _

_Meadow walked into the room "__I'm just curious are all five of us staying in this room or is it just Alex and Celestia?__" Meracle asked as she landed next to Meadow Rose _

_Celestia looked at the bed as Alex curled up to sleep at the back knowing full well that he would be joined shortly "__I say we test to see if it will fit all five of us__" Celestia giggled as she climbed onto the bed and Esmeralda, Meadow Rose and Meracle joined her "__we can all fit nicely so I say we can all stay in this room while we are here__" Celestia said happily _

_Celestia, Esmeralda, Meracle and Meadow Rose all fell asleep and Alex picked his head up as he couldn't sleep so using his magic he had a little bit of innocent fun he arranged the ladies in a way that he could be seen and he could slip off the bed easily "__looking regal there Alex__" Novalis laughed as he entered the room "__but you are supposed to be asleep now rest and let those wings mend__" he ordered and put Alex into a magic induced sleep_

_The princesses of Harmony arrived to see Alex asleep on his bed with Meadow Rose, Meracle, Esmeralda and Celestia "__he really does look happy__" Soarin said with a laugh_

_Twilight placed the four mares that were already on the bed closer together and closer to Alex then she and the other Princesses climbed onto the bed and quickly fell asleep as well and the Paladins placed themselves on the floor in front of the bed like an iron defence "__This room looks like a fort now and look how happy mother is I haven't seen that smile in years__" Cadence said as she entered the room "__easy gentle colts I'm not here to attack__" Cadence gasped as the Paladins had crossed their wings to form a barrier_

_Seira landed next to Alex on his bed "__they can all sleep there I'm going to sleep right here, whoa__" she gasped _

_Melody and the rest of Alex's foals walked into the room "__sorry Seira you may be older than us but we can't allow you to sleep that close to dad when that spot is for us__" Noelle laughed as she and her brothers and sisters landed next to their father and placed Seira back beside her mother_

_Shining Armour walked into the room "__if anypony came in here right now to take Alex out they would have a very hard time reaching him__" Shining Armour laughed "__just look at it Cadence that defence is strong__" Armour chuckled _

_Cadence nodded her head "__and if we place Seira in between the paladins with her barriers getting to big brother Alex is next to impossible__" Cadence giggled as Seira took her mentioned position_

_Hours passed by and Arachnae had finally come for a visit "__I heard Alex was released from the Everfree forest and came here to recover after a massive fight__" Arachnae laughed as she walked into the room and stopped dead in her tracks_

_Alex, Celestia, Esmeralda, Meadow Rose, Meracle, Melody, Noelle, Hanon, Jaide, Pearl, Lukas, Rino, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Clutterstep, Nero, Macintosh, Braeburn, Soarin, Thunder Lane and Seira were all awake and looking at Arachnae from behind Seira's barrier "__You can Relax Seira, Arachnae is a friend and can be trusted__" Alex explained and Seira dropped the barrier_

_Arachnae looked at all the ponies shocked "__this level of defence is scary if I didn't know any better I would say you were all protecting something or somepony__" Arachnae said as she looked at all the ponies in front of her_

_All the ponies on Alex's bed looked at him "__oh we are protecting somepony alright as he is quite injured and should be sleeping__" Celestia said looking past the young ones towards her husband _

_Celestia went to move towards Alex and the young ones snapped their wings up and crossed their wings preventing Celestia from reaching Alex "__sorry mother can't let you do that, Dad needs to recover and you leaning and lying all over him isn't going to do him any good__" Jaide said wisely_

_Celestia looked defeated "__you're right of course but you young ones should also get off the bed and let your father rest in his favourite spot__" Celesta said with a reluctant smile as she and the others stepped off the bed with the young ones_

_Alex stepped to the middle of his bed and laid back down then went back to sleep, Nero wandered around Canterlot as he had the afternoon to himself when he spotted Leiam with Chloe having lunch "__best I don't disturb them__" Nero laughed and continued on his way _

"_Nero wait up__" Rarity called as she landed next to her husband "__what are you doing out here alone darling surely you could have asked me to join you__" Rarity giggled _

_Nero looked at Rarity and smiled "__sorry but you seemed busy with the other princesses of harmony so I thought it best to leave you alone__" Nero replied as he continued to walk "__I've just been thinking now that Alex is free from the Everfree Forest what does he plan on doing with his life cause if you remember he and Celestia while still royal have nothing to do with ruling Equestria__" Nero explained_

_Rarity was nodding her head "__and with the Princesses of Harmony stationed in Ponyville, Princess Luna is stationed in Manehattan and Princess Dream in Fillydelphia, Alex and Celestia have nowhere to go as Meracle rules over the Aquines and watches over the ponies of Xing now that Sakura has gone back to Xing there are several other towns they could go to if they didn't request that no royal be stationed in their towns__" Rarity said as she looked towards the castle "__Alex may have foals coming but once they are old enough he isn't going to have anything to do__" she added _

_Nero looked around "__why not make Alex and Celestia leaders of the Ponyville Cutie Mark Scouts you know how much he likes working and playing with foals and seeing as he is immortal he can always watch over the Cutie Marks Scouts__" Nero suggested_

"_Celestia, Esmeralda and I were going to operate the Ponyville candy store as Celestia was given the recipe book with all of Bonbon's special sweets__" Meadow Rose said sweetly as she landed near Nero and Rarity they continued to talk for hours about all the things Alex could do to tide him over and prevent himself from being bored_


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

_Two months passed by quickly and Alex was told to step aside while Doctors helped Celestia and Esmeralda with the birthing of their foals, Nero was in his room tinkering away with something he had always wanted to do for a long time he was developing a new type of weapon for Equestria "__this weapon is not ideal for Earth Pony or Pegasus but a Unicorn can operate this thing like no tomorrow or a pony that can use the Half Anthro spell__" Nero laughed as he loaded the new weapon and headed downstairs_

_Nero arrived downstairs and saw Alex in the dining room eating lunch "__Oh Nero hello I wasn't expecting you for a while longer so what's up?__" Alex asked as he finished the last of his food_

_Nero laid the new weapon on the table "__I just finished making it, it took me some time as Equestria isn't suited to gun making__" Nero explained _

_Alex stood up and looked at the gun "__this is an M61B53 Lowengrin isn't it?__" Alex gasped_

_Nero laughed "__I'm glad you noticed your old custom sniper rifle this beauty packs quite a punch and I've customised it to turn into a fast rate of fire machine gun__" Nero said happily _

"_Destroy it and never make it again, this weapon in the wrong pony's possession would be catastrophic__" Alex snapped as he slid the gun back across the table to Nero_

"_I don't know Alex that is an interesting weapon and as long as Nero promises not to make any more I'll let this one stay in existence__" Novalis said "__now let's take it outside and test it__" he laughed_

_Alex shook his head "__keeping this thing around is a big mistake, something like this should not exist in this world__" Alex said quietly and placed the gun on his side and headed to a large clearing_

_Nero and Novalis arrived as Alex finished setting everything up "__alright let's see if Alex still has a keen eye for accuracy__" Nero cheered_

"_We don't have ranged weapons in the Equestrian Military so depending on how this gun performs I might commission more of them be built__" Novalis said _

"_If you commission these things to be built I'll return to the Everfree Forest and never come out again, once I've destroyed all the targets I'm rendering this thing inoperable__" Alex snapped _

_Nero and Novalis looked at Alex rather upset "__Alex now that's not fair just because you don't like guns doesn't mean we shouldn't put new technology to use__" Novalis said sadly _

_Alex shot the targets quickly and then disabled the gun then left for the Everfree forest without a single word leaving Novalis and Nero standing there stunned "__what an amazing shot but I can see Alex's point it's power is far too frightening and would make the common ponies scared of the royal family so Nero I must ask you to destroy this if you can develop something similar but not as frighting then I would be happy to have them commissioned for military use__" Novalis explained _

_Nero nodded his head "__I understand__" he said and destroyed the M61B53 Lowengrin "__I have an idea for something that will be similar__" Nero started saying when Lauren appeared_

_Lauren looked at Nero "__Alex used this many years ago when he first came to Equestria maybe you can mass produce this__" Lauren said as she placed Alex's old bow on the grass in front of Nero_

_Nero picked the bow up and looked it over "__this is the D29 Talon Strike, out of Alex's 500 assassinations this weapon took the lives of 450 of them it's easily his most trusted weapon but look at its condition what happened to it?__" Nero asked _

_Lauren looked at the bow "__it was caught in a fire when Alex was fighting a dragon to save Rarity and Gem from death on the very same day Gem was born__" Lauren explained "__I only found it by sheer luck I honestly thought it was destroyed__" she said _

_Nero looked it over "__the strings are totalled and the wood can't be used anymore it's nothing but trash now I'm going to have to build a new one__" Nero explained as he destroyed the remains of the bow and flew back to Canterlot _

_Meanwhile in the Everfree forest_

_Alex was sitting at home in the bath trying to get the feeling of the Lowengrin off him "__what was he thinking making that vile thing__" Alex snapped _

"_Alex you seem troubled dear?__" Undine said as she appeared in the water and started patting Alex's head_

_Alex talked with Undine for hours when the royal family arrived with the two new born foals for Alex to see "__Alex there you are you naughty stallion easy now calm down Nero doesn't have the scary ranged weapon anymore but he does have a remastered weapon for you it took him several hours of non-stop work to rebuild but I think you will like the new D35 Phoenix strike__" Novalis laughed_

_Nero brought the bow to Alex in its brand new carry case "__Obsidian body with Alicorn tail hair strings if you look at the colours you can tell who gave their tail hairs for this, capable of withstanding up to ninety pounds of pressures before damage becomes irreversible, the Arrows are a light weight obsidian alloy with armour piercing tips for maximum damage the Feathers on the Arrows are an obvious give away__" Nero explained _

_Much to the relief of the others Alex calmed down and sat back down in the water and Undine started patting his head again "__this is nice sleek and slender light weight and easy to fire, I see you platted the tail hairs to give them extra strength__" Alex said as he looked the bow over "__as usual Nero excellent work in creating this weapon but I hope you don't plan on creating anymore guns__" Alex said darkly as his baby pink eyes turned red _

_Nero took several steps back shaking his head "__no I won't be making anymore more guns now please try out your new bow__" Nero replied_

_Alex took aim at a falling Cherry Blossom petal and fired at it, the arrow hit the petal and pinned it to a tree "__Very nice__" Lauren said _

_Esmeralda and Celestia where cheering "__nice shot__" Celestia laughed_

_Alex liked the feel of the bow, he took on his half Anthro form and grabbed the bow with his hands "__I've missed this feeling__" Alex said as his face steeled and his baby pink eyes turned dark blue and he looked at Novalis "__who do you want dead?__" Alex asked with a perfectly straight face as if killing somepony was an everyday chore_

"_Alex honey are you alright?__" Celestia asked as she brushed her wing against Alex's face and got no reaction "__what's wrong with him?__" Celestia cried as she tried to get Alex's attention_

_Novalis took his half Anthro form then looked at Alex's location only to find him gone "__don't even think of trying to attack unless you want an arrow in the back of your head__" Alex said as poison dripped of each word_

_Nero psychically slammed Alex to the floor and ripped the bow from his grasp "__I wasn't expecting that to happen__" Nero said quietly and snapped the bow and slashed the tails hairs "__never making another one of these again__" he snapped_

_Alex just laid there on the ground "__what happened to me?__" he stammered as he got shakily to his hooves_

"_You nearly returned to your Assassin roots and killed Novalis that's what happened to you__" Nero explained _

_Alex was shocked and looked at Novalis "__I am so sorry I honestly don't know what came over me__" Alex cried bowing his head low "__please forgive me__" Alex said keeping his head low_

_Novalis used his wing and raised Alex's head "__you have nothing to be sorry for and besides you have some foals to see for yourself now smile Alex today is the day you're a father of new born foals again__" Novalis laughed as Lauren walked over to Alex and placed the foals on the floor in front of him_

_Everypony witnessed something they thought they would never see again, the look in Alex's eyes that said he was happier beyond anything that had happened to him in years "__now there is a look I've missed in him__" Celestia said as she gently placed herself in front of Alex and picked the foals up in her wings "__these little ones are mine wait till you see Esmeralda's__" Celestia giggled _

_Alex's jaw dropped as Esmeralda walked forward carrying two more foals "__I, err, um, WHAT__" Alex said trying to recompose himself "__I had no idea you were both carrying twins__" Alex cried but he couldn't hide the smile on his face_

"_Now that's a smile__" Viola said happily as she peeked around the others to see the new born foals_

_Alex looked at his wings and whimpered "__oh right since you weren't at the castle you didn't get the news, Novalis give me a helping hoof would you please?__" Lauren said kindly then she and her husband removed the straps that bound Alex's four wings_

_Alex's wings snapped open on their own and he gave them a couple of gentle flaps and tried to bring them in front of himself, it was slightly painful because of the clamps that were over his slashed wing bones but it was only minor pain and Alex took all four foals, Alex walked over to the graveyard but stopped just outside it's perimeter as a graveyard was no place for new born foals, Alex's eyes widened in shock as the spirits of his deceased friends appeared above their graves, the smiles on their faces told him everything was going to be alright and he didn't have to cry anymore, Alex smiled and nodded his head "__Thank you and good bye my friends may I still be here to see you return or may you be there to meet me when I go that way myself__" Alex chuckled and nuzzled the foals_

"_Alex I want you to know before I go that Spirit Warder isn't dead__" Earth Dasher's ghost said making Alex jump in fright "__you can find her in crystal stasis near Manehattan please find her and save her from her loneliness__" she asked _

_Alex nodded again "__I'll get her Earth Dasher now rest and May we meet again__" Alex replied and the ghosts faded_

_Alex looked at his foals in his wings "__daddy was only expecting two of you not four but daddy promises to love all four of you just the same__" Alex chuckled as he nuzzled all four foals _

_The others had been watching Alex, Lauren looked at the Paladins of Harmony "__Find Spirit Warder fast and if you can I want her back by days end__" Lauren ordered and the Paladins took off as Alex returned to the rest of the family "__Alex you are to stay with the foals I've ordered the Paladins of Harmony to find and retrieve Spirit Warder__" Lauren explained_

_Alex nodded his head "__I understand__" he said calmly _

_The rest of the day saw Alex back in Canterlot with the foals happily playing with them on his bed, "__Lauren should be going into labour right, About, NOW__" Alex chuckled and as if right on time Lauren started screaming_

"_NOVALIS GET YOUR RUMP UP HERE DAMN IT__" Lauren yelled _

_Celestia just giggled "__that's a bit of a problem as father isn't in the castle at the moment__" Celestia laughed_

_Alex got off the bed "__leave it to me then, you ladies stay with the foals__" Alex said and took off_

_Lauren was screaming in agony which Alex thought to be quite understandable "__Alex where is Novalis?__" Lauren snapped as Alex walked into her room without even knocking_

"_Novalis isn't home right now so I'll be helping you instead__" Alex replied as he started by rubbing Laurens belly and back with his wings and gently pulling on her wing "__ok Lauren push the little ones out oh by the way I forgot to mention you're carrying twin colts__" Alex chuckled_

_Lauren blasted Alex against the wall of her room "__You could have told me that months ago damn it__" she roared at him _

_Alex got shakily to his hooves "__I understand you're upset from the pain Lauren but please control yourself__" Alex whimpered as he made his way back to Lauren's side _

_Lauren lifted Alex from the floor "__Control myself, I'm in more pain right now than I have been in for half a century and you tell me to control myself I should kill you__" Lauren snapped_

_Alex had, had enough of Lauren's foul mood and broke free of her spell "__Mother please you need, to, RELAX__" Alex roared _

_The shock of Alex raising his voice at her scared Lauren so greatly she started crying "__I'm sorry it's just it hurts so much__" she cried_

_Alex returned to Lauren's side and placed Lauren's head on his back as he rubbed her back and belly "__I know it hurts my dear but I need you to work with me ok now push them out I'll catch them I promise__" Alex replied sweetly_

_Lauren was in labour for nearly six hours and once both Colts had arrived Alex carried Lauren down to his room "__Alex I see you brought mother with you so how is my baby brother?__" Celestia giggled_

_Alex just smiled "__I was hiding a secret this whole time__" Alex said as he magiced Lauren on to the bed "__Celestia your mother has been carrying twin Colt's this whole time__" Alex laughed as he placed the new born colts on the bed in front of their mother_

_The look on Celestia's and Esmeralda's faces made Alex grin, Lauren looked at her new born colts and started crying "__hush now Lauren come on my dear mares it's feeding time__" Alex laughed as he drained the milk from the three mothers and placed their foals down to feed _

_Meanwhile in Manehattan_

_Nero and his team searched Earth Dasher's home with the permission of its new residents but couldn't find any traces of Spirit Warder "__sorry to have bothered you and we apologise for making such a mess please allow us to clean up__" Nero said and the Paladins returned the home to exactly the way it was when they arrived "__we apologise for the inconvenience__" Nero apologised and with a bow the Paladins left the home_

"_Well that totally sucked__" Soarin said darkly_

"_Come on guys hurry that Alicorn mare with the mad Blue highlights just came out of her Crystal__" A young Stallion said as he and his friends raced past the paladins_

_Thunder Lane looked at his comrades "__well don't just stand there we all know that Spirit Warder has Blue Highlights in her mane, tail and feathers__" he said and took off after the young stallions_

_The Paladins arrived at the cave that the young stallions entered and they followed them "__What would Spirit Warder be doing in a place like this?__" Macintosh asked as they walked through the cave _

"_Guys there's somepony else here we have to protect her__" a young mare said as she returned to her friends_

_Clutterstep poked his head around a corner and copped a charge of magic energy in the face "__Hey now that wasn't very nice we were sent here by Queen Lauren to retrieve this mare, How are you feeling Spirit Warder are you hurt or feeling unwell__" Clutterstep asked_

_Spirit Warder looked up and saw Clutterstep looking at her "__UNCLE CLUTTERSTEP__" she screamed and jumped on him "__how is Alex doing?__" she asked as she clambered onto Clutterstep's back_

_Clutterstep looked at the young ponies that were looking at him "__No way you're Clutterstep the Paladin of Magic, Husband to Princess Twilight Sparkle, we are so sorry we attacked you we didn't know please forgive us__" they cried bowing to him _

_Clutterstep decided to have some fun "__ok I'll forgive you but on one condition you are all to join me and the other Paladins on our return to Canterlot__" Clutterstep said sternly_

_The young ponies were scared but agreed to go to Canterlot with the Paladins "__for attacking a Paladin of Harmony the punishment could be quite sever but as you are all so very young you might be let off if you're lucky__" Braeburn said as he had caught on to Clutterstep's prank _

_They all boarded the train heading for Canterlot and were there within an hour and the young ponies were escorted to Canterlot castle "__we're going to get into big trouble aren't we?__" the young mare said _

"_Alex we are bringing in a group of young ponies who were protecting Spirit Warder while she recovered from leaving her Crystal Stasis, they think they are here to be punished but I thought you would like to reward them for protecting a dear friend__" Nero said psychically as he and the paladins stopped outside Alex's room with the young foals "__Alex we're back__" Nero called_

"_ENTER__" Alex's voice rang _

_They all entered and Alex was situated in the middle of his room "__OH SHOOT__" a young stallion cried and tried to run_

"_Easy now I know you are all here thinking you are going to be punished for attacking a paladin but I promise you that there is no punishment for attacking a paladin of harmony they are just having fun with you__" Alex explained as he magiced the young stallion into the air and put him back with his friends_

"_Prince Alex you're not going to punish us__" the young mare asked as she looked at Alex and started blushing "__you're far too good looking for me to be looking at you__" she giggled and turned away_

_Alex just smiled "__thank you for the compliment young one but you, yourself are gorgeous I can see why these young stallions want to protect you so much__" Alex laughed and leaned in close to her "__which one of these young stallions is your favourit__e?" Alex whispered quietly so only she could hear him_

_The young mare went red in the face "__the stallion I like is here actually__" she whispered back_

_Alex smiled "__never give up on the one you love for one day he will notice how important you are to him and will come for you__" Alex said happily and kissed the young mares forehead and a crest appeared on her head "__may the blessing of the Alicorns lead you all to a happier future__" Alex said and removed 8 of the ear pieces from his Dimensional Pocket "__with these you young ones are recognised as friends to the Royal family and will be allowed into the castle or the home in the Everfree forest at any time__" Alex explained _

_The young mare was looking at Alex "__wait I recognise you now you're Alexander Theotanasia, former Human turned Alicorn due to a life threatening Accident and Creator of my mother Luchia, My name is Tania pleased to meet you__" she said sweetly _

_Alex took several steps back in shock "__no way__" Alex chuckled as he picked Tania up and examined her "__Luchia and the others were like sisters to me always there when I needed to talk I can't believe they managed to find stallions to settle down with__" Alex laughed then he looked at the young stallions and smelt the air "__don't tell me you're all?__" he gasped_

_The young stallions nodded "__yup we are the foals of your Spirit Guards and we have all been friends from the day we were all born__" a young stallion said "__my name is Cress__" he added and bowed "__these are Billy, Charles, Edward, Matthew, Paul and Craig__" Cress explained and each of the young stallions bowed as his name was called_

_Alex looked around "__All of you have Human names most interesting indeed__" Alex laughed_

"_If that's the case you young ones are already apart of the family and we never even knew about you__" Lauren laughed from the bed_

"_How are your mothers doing these days they never come by for a visit__" Alex chuckled_

"_Well we are here now, we received word that our foals had been escorted away to Canterlot because they attacked one of the Paladins of Harmony and we arrive here to see them being treated like family__" Rina said sternly_

_Alex looked at the eight mares that were his spirit guards "__what do you say girls shall we purify him for old time's sake__" Luchia laughed_

_Alex laughed happily "__you all look fantastic and you are all as beautiful as the last time I saw you all__" Alex laughed happily as he hugged each one of them _

"_Spare us your flattery Alex you're not getting out of your purification process__" Osiris laughed and the girls set to work_

_Once Alex was fully purified Luchia, Rina, Faith, Ruby, April, Juniper, Mercury and Osiris all looked at the mares on the bed "__why didn't you call for us, if he had lost even one more friend we would not have been able to save him__" Faith snapped angrily and the new born foals started crying_

_Alex walked over to the bed and grabbed all four of his new born foals "__easy with the volume please the little ones need their sleep__" Alex said quietly as he shook his wings to lure the foals to sleep_

"_Alex we heard rumours from Luna that you now had four mares all to yourself you naughty boy but clearly the rumours aren't true at all__" Ruby giggled as she nuzzled the four foals "__they are simply darling Alex__" Ruby said sweetly and she kissed the foals foreheads_

_Alex laid down on the floor with the foals so the others could seem them the mothers came down to sit with Alex and the others there gathered around them "__honestly Alex all of your foals are absolutely gorgeous from Melody all the way down to these four here__" Juniper giggled happily_

_Alex suddenly felt aggravated then magiced the foals into their cribs "__you ladies stay here with the young ones I'm going to go have a bath and I don't want to be disturbed__" Alex said sternly as he walked towards the bathroom_

_The mares watched as the entrance to the bathroom pulsed "__well that was rather huffy__" Meadow whispered_

"_Huffy the magic pony__" Celestia giggled and all the mares burst out laughing _

_Tania was getting annoyed "__either you are all too blind to notice or I'm the only one who sees it__" Tania snapped as she walked straight through Alex's barrier "__honestly they only think of themselves don't they Alex__" Tania said sharply _

_Alex was completely submerged in the bath "__indeed they do__" Alex said into Tania's head "__apologies for the scare my dear it seems your mother forget to tell you that I was psychic__" Alex chuckled as he brought himself out of the water to look at Tania_

_Tania looked at Alex and started blushing again "__your long mane and tail look like Celestia's except your mane and tail are red with black streaks and I find it very hard to look at you__" Tania said shyly "__Alex can I tell you a secret?__" she asked_

_Alex nodded "__I won't tell a soul, Cross my heart hope to fly stick a cupcake in my eye__" Alex replied as he stood on the water's surface_

_Tania took a deep breath "__the stallion that I like is Edward but he likes somepony else, I asked him if the pony he liked was me and he said no, what can I do to get him to notice me?__" Tania cried as she walked up to Alex _

_Alex sat himself on the edge of the bath and Tania placed herself in front of him between his hooves "__my daddy passed away recently and mother is never home for me to talk to her__" Tania continued to whimper while Alex held her to his body with his wings_

_Alex kissed Tania's forehead again then began to sing, Undine appeared so she could sing with Alex, once the song was over Alex placed Tania on his back and walked out of the bathroom "__All of you out I want to talk to Tania for a while__" Alex said darkly "__you can leave the foals I'll keep them safe__" Alex added and the mares and young stallions left_

_Tania slid off Alex's back "__you wanted to talk to me Alex?__" she asked _

_Alex sat on the floor and magiced down a set of fabrics that he had hidden away "__time to turn you into a model with an appearance that young Edward will never forget__" Alex said with a big smile and started getting to work_

_The mares had to wait for Alex and Tania nearly all afternoon and were having dinner when Alex walked out with the foals and the most amazing young mare anypony had ever seen "__Alex who is that?__" Luchia asked _

_Alex just smiled "__what do you think of your little girl Luchia turned out quite nice hasn't she?__" Alex laughed as he patted Tania's rump with his tail and ushered her forward_

_Luchia was looking at Tania "__that's my baby__" she cried_

"_Anypony who can't sense Alex's heart doesn't deserve to be near him__" Tania snapped and erected a barrier around herself and Alex "__when it comes to Alex all you ever do is think of yourselves try being nice for once and think about how he feels__" she cried angrily _

_Alex looked at Tania "__it's quite alright my dear I don't mind really if they didn't decide on some things for me I'd probably just laze around and do nothing__" Alex replied_

"_THAT'S NOT THE POINT ALEX__" Tania screamed as tears flowed down her face "__sure you may not make many decisions but the fact that they only want you to do things they want to do__" she cried "__you're your own self you shouldn't let yourself be guided by others__" she yelled and took off_

_Alex stood there looking at Tania "__poor darling why don't you understand its part of my nature to be guided like that__" Alex said sadly and raced after Tania "__Tania wait up dear let me talk to you please__" Alex called, Tania was a fast runner no matter how fast Alex galloped he couldn't catch her so he opened his wings and took off "__ow, ow, ow__" Alex whimpered as he glided along_

_Tania was finally caught after nearly half an hour of running Alex held her with his hooves and looked at his wings and whimpered because if the pain he was in "__Alex why do you let them guide you the way they do?__" Tania asked and noticed Alex's wings were covered in blood "__ALEX YOUR WINGS__" she screamed _

_Alex just laughed "__minor details my dear and as to your question as to why I let myself be guide it's simply because it is what I know best ever since I was little I've lived by the commands of others so by having the ladies guide me I feel comfortable and I operate better but there are a lot of times that I act alone such as combat for instance__" Alex chuckled "__the last thing I need in combat is another ponies opinion on how I fight__" he snickered_

_Tania was looking at Alex "__so while Celestia and the others guide your daily life as you have a hard time deciding on your own you become your own pony on the battlefield?__" Tania asked_

_Alex nodded his head "__that is exactly correct well done my dear__" Alex replied nuzzling Tania_

"_But why do you become your own pony on the battlefield Alex I just don't understand?__" Tania said as she walked home with Alex_

_Alex suddenly looked awkward "__that's the sad part of my existence the only reason I become my own pony on the battlefield is because I'm a natural born killer, it's all I've ever done and it's all I've ever known except the time I quit the killing side of my life and became a recluse, but since coming here to Equestria and meeting Celestia, I've learned what it means to have a quiet life sure I now have the blood of thousands people and ponies on me but I'll keep killing as long as I need to in order to protect my family and if it meant saving my family I'd even kill myself__" Alex explained as he walked away hanging his head_

"_I had no idea__" Esmeralda said as she landed next to Tania with the others _

_Celestia watched Alex leave as he walked past the castle he fell of the cliff and they heard him land very badly "__that's really going to leave a mark__" Meadow cried _

"_Leave him be he needs time to think__" Lauren said as she landed with the others "__he's most definitely injured after that fall but give him time and he will be back__" she explained gently _

_Novalis finally returned "__sorry I took so long getting Dream to stop playing with the foals long enough to talk to me proved to be a pain in the flank__" he said and noticed Alex limping away and he suddenly looked concerned _

_Alex made his way towards the Village of the ponies of Xing "__Alex welcome, you're injured please come this way so we can get to work on you, SOME PONY GET THE PRINCE SOMETHING TO EAT AND DRINK__" a Pony called_

_Alex looked around the village "__Rice Wine will be perfect but I'll need plenty of it as I'm a rather heavy drinker__" Alex said and then left himself in the care of the Ponies of Xing_

_A Few days later in Xing_

_Sakura who had been given Eternal life by Lauren as a gift for her twenty fifth birthday much to Alex's objections that giving eternal life to a pony just because it was their birthday and they couldn't think of anything to do was a really bad idea, Sakura was preparing for a trip to Equestria with her fifteen year old Daughter Hinata "__Hinata hurry up we were supposed to have been gone an hour ago__" Sakura yelled _

_Hinata came racing out of her room "__sorry mother packing my bag took a lot longer than I planned__" Hinata said apologetically_

_Sakura just smiled "__well Alex isn't going to go anywhere but we really must be going dear now come on__" Sakura giggled as she walked out of the imperial palace_

_A guard raced to Sakura and Hinata "__Empress Sakura I have a bit of bad news, Alex appeared in Xing village a few days ago injured he's alive and moving but his left hind leg is broken and he has clamps on his wings, the best doctors in the village have removed the clamps and are administering our style of medical treatment to his wings and leg by all rights Alex should be moving again soon__" the guard explained_

_Sakura nodded her head "__thank you Shaoran I appreciate the news but the look on your face tells me you haven't told me something yet__" Sakura laughed_

_Shaoran just blushed "__Indeed, Alex has been drinking rice wine since he arrived and he and the villagers have been having fun since he started drinking__" Shaoran chuckled_

_Sakura just started laughing "__Alex has always been a heavy drinker I'm sure he'll drink the whole village under the table__" Sakura giggled as she walked ahead of Shaoran and Hinata_

_They boarded the train and headed north "__Mother why, aren't we flying?__" Hinata asked_

_Sakura sat on the bed on the train and chuckled "__of the many things Alex taught me when I was with him was that while you have things you can use to your advantage it doesn't mean you always have to use them sometimes it's best to take the easy way then the advantageous way__" Sakura said and then the smile on her face vanished "__now all I need to do is help Alex live his life the way he wants it to instead of being guided by others__" she whispered _

_Hinata looked at her mother concerned "__mother I've been meaning to ask but is Alex my father is that why you're so worried about him?__" Hinata asked_

_Sakura looked at her daughter "__No Alex isn't your father if I had to wager on what he would be to you I would say he's an Uncle, Your father's name was Kurogane he was a fantastic stallion however shortly before you were born he died in the war of the orient, I never told you his name so I wouldn't cry as I remembered him__" Sakura said as tears flowed down her face "__other than you Hinata Alex is the only pony I have left close to family, I may be Xing's eternal Empress now but even I need an older pony to lean on__" Sakura cried and looked at the ear piece she always had on and smiled_

_Hinata was looking at her mother when their train carriage was hit by something big "__Mother are you alright?__" Hinata asked and looked at her mother again "__MOTHER NO__" she cried_

_Sakura was in the grasp of a dragon one that was far bigger than any that had ever been seen "__Hinata take this and find Alex in the Village tell him what's happened and he will find a way to help__" Sakura ordered and threw her ear piece to her daughter "__be sure to introduce yourself to Alex so he knows who you are then show him that item, go Hinata and just know mommy loves you__" Sakura screamed as the dragon dragged her away_

_Hinata flew for the Village near the lake with tears in her eyes rendering her vision blurry "__Mommy why did this have to happen right as we went to go on Holiday?__" Hinata cried and she crashed into a mare with a white coat pink mane and tail with a sun print Cutie Mark_

_Celestia looked at the young Pegasus mare who bumped into her "__what's the matter little one you looked distressed?__" Celestia said looking at Hinata very worried_

"_Please excuse me I must find Prince Alex it's an emergency__" Hinata replied and took off "__SORRY FOR BUMPING INTO YOU__" she called as she flew off_

"_That was one of Alex's ear ornaments that she had on and by the looks of her she is a pony from Xing in the south, did something happen to Sakura?__" Celestia wondered and took off after Hinata_

_Hinata found the village easily and she couldn't find any pony around "__where is everypony?__" Hinata wondered as she wandered around the village and she saw a stallion with a white coat red mane and tail with black streaks and a pair of wings crossing over each other on his flank "__he looks exactly like mother described him, good heavens isn't he handsome__" She giggled as she started blushing_

_A scream from the sky told her that something was wrong, she looked up to the see the mare that she collided with in mid-air had just been captured by the same dragon that had taken her mother, Hinata dashed over to Alex "__Prince Alex please you must wake up something is going horribly wrong please your majesty get up__" Hinata cried as she shook Alex to try and wake him up_

_Hinata was shaking Alex for nearly ten minutes when Alex finally started coming around "__ugh my head did I drink too much and actually pass out?__" Alex stammered as he got to his hooves and noticed the young mare with him "__well hello there little one my name is Alex nice to meet you__" Alex chuckled _

_Hinata couldn't believe that the pony she was sent to find was lying out in the middle of the street smelling of Alcohol when there was a crisis going on "__you're Prince Alex, Husband to Celestia, and foalster father of my mother Empress Sakura__" Hinata snapped "__I can't believe it my mother said you were an amazing pony capable of almost anything but here I find you passed out in the middle of the street like a homeless fool__" she yelled angrily_

_Alex nodded his head "__your mother did stretch my story a fair bit, I don't think I'm all that amazing compared to my wife her family and our foals, they are far more amazing than I am__" Alex replied as he walked over to the lake and slammed his head into the water then pulled his head back out "__I see you are wearing Sakura's ear piece that must mean you are her daughter Hinata then I haven't seen you since the day your mother brought you over to my home in the Everfree forest, now what has your mind so troubled?__" Alex asked as his expression became quite serious _

_Hinata reeled under the look Alex had looked at her with "__this isn't the same pony who was just out cold in the middle of the street__" Hinata thought to herself "__on our way here the train my mother and I were on was attacked by a dragon and just before you woke up a mare with a white coat pink mane and tail and a sun for a Cutie Mark was just snatched out of sky by the same dragon that took my mother__" Hinata explained_

_Alex's attention snapped towards the sky "__if it took Celestia it probably got the others, OH NO THE FOALS__" Alex gasped and exploded into the air and flew for Canterlot once back in the castle he bolted for his old room he found several guards heavily wounded and the foals missing "__no, No, NO__" Alex yelled as he magiced the guards off the floor and started healing their wounds "__you guys will be alright I promise, why did you new recruits have to face a dragon as your first opponent__" Alex snapped _

_Hinata landed in Alex's room "__how can you fly with your wings so badly injured look they are covered in blood__" Hinata said sternly "__look I don't care how good you are but I can't let you fly again what if you crash and hurt yourself again__" she snapped_

_Alex ignored her while he worked on healing the new recruits to the castle guard "__there we go all healed up now you stallions stay in here and rest while I go and figure out what this dragon has against me, Ugh why does it suddenly smell like death in here?__" Alex choked as he placed his wings across his nose to bloke out the smell_

"_Alex it's been far too long but I'm back now were is that abomination Gem__" Aranolys said _

_Alex's ears drooped "__Why can't anything I kill stay dead__" Alex snapped as he marched forward _

"_Don't even bother trying anything Alex, I have everypony you've ever met as a hostage, so if you want them all back do exactly as I tell you__" Aranolys laughed "__your orders are simple and there is only one, Kill Gem and don't think anypony can save you as I have also got the other royals from the other cities as well and the Paladins of Harmony no pony can help you but I'm not that heartless the young mare that is beside you can keep you company now get to work__" Aranolys snapped and then left_

_Alex sat down on the floor of his room "__BUCKING DAMN IT__" Alex roared slamming his front hooves onto the floor and sending cracks throughout the entire room _

_Hinata grabbed the two recruits and dashed out of the room with them as the whole room caved in on Alex's head "__ALEX, oh no__" Hinata cried and started digging Alex out of the rubble_

_Alex exploded out of the rubble in a rage, Alex was using his half Anthro spell and he wasn't in the mood to talk "__Alex are you alright?__" Hinata squeaked as Alex started destroying the rubble_

_Alex noticed Sombra's scythe against the wall just sitting there "__what do you think Sombra up for one fight side by side?__" Alex said as he walked out of the castle on his hind legs with the scythe in his hands_

_Hinata followed Alex as he raced across town "__how is he running so fast on just two legs?__" she wondered _

"_GO TEACH THAT DRAGON A LESSON ALEX__" an old mare cheered as Alex raced past her_

"_THANKS TWINKLE I'LL STOP BY FOR A CHAT LATER__" Alex replied as he picked up the pace_

_Hinata stopped to talk to Twinkle Shine "__do you know how Alex is able to run so fast on only two legs?__" Hinata asked _

_Twinkle Shine just smiled gently "__that's his half Anthro spell it enables him to move around on his hind legs and use his front hooves for other things like holding weapons, now if you want to see something impressive you had best catch up to him and quickly__" Twinkle explained _

_Hinata took off after Alex and caught up to him after about five minutes "__he really can move__" Hinata gasped as she landed nearby to catch her breath_

_Alex was on the hunt for a dragon "__what do you think will happen, will Alex kill gem and Free you all at once or come here, kill me and then free you all?__" Aranolys laughed _

_Alex's heavens armour had appeared on his body and because of his scythe his eyes looked exactly like Sombra's as he marched towards the location Aranolys held the ponies Alex was to rescue "__who's that?__" Tania asked_

_Celestia was cowering in fear with her foals "__you can feel his hatred emanating from him, he is so angry right now if so much as one of us tries to get in his way he'll cut us down without a second thought__" Celestia explained_

_Esmeralda went into shock "__that's Alex?__" she cried as she watched Alex "__Aranolys please let us go before things get out of hand please we beg of you__" Esmeralda pleaded_

"_Not until the abomination named Gem is dead__" Aranolys replied_

"_And what is it you have against Gem in the first place she hasn't caused any trouble to dragons or ponies she has lived her life quietly and free__" Alex hissed as he swung the scythe around like he had been doing it for years_

"_That Dragon Pony Hybrid is an abomination and should not exist__" Aranolys roared as he slammed Alex with his giant hand_

"_NO__" Meadow Rose screamed "__what a horrible way to__die__" she cried_

_Alex swung the scythe and cleaved the great dragons hand clean off "__I'm not so easily defeated__" Alex snapped _

_Aranolys used his own flame to sear his wound closed "__you like to live your life guided by the hooves of others__" Aranolys laughed as his remaining hand lit up "__let's change that and see how you think independently__" he laughed and with a snap of his giant claws Alex passed out_

_Aranolys stood there for nearly an hour when Alex woke back up "__so this is what it feels like to not depend on others__" Alex snickered as he stood back up "__I'm rather confused to be honest but I know one thing__" Alex said _

_Aranolys looked at Alex "__and what would that be?__" he laughed_

_Alex grinned evilly "__the one thing I know is that I really want to kill you__" Alex snapped and swung Sombra's scythe again and claimed Aranolys's tail_

_The battle between Aranolys and Alex lasted days, Alex's wings were ripped and shredded, Aranolys had lost both wings to Alex's fury and they clashed again and again "__can Alex take much more of this?__" Tania asked_

_Alex suddenly formed a magic barrier around himself "__what could he possibly be doing now?__" Meracle asked _

_Alex was back in the recesses of his mind "__Alex you are here to talk are you?__" Dragon laughed as he hovered in mid-air while meditating "__say no more I already know here take this__" he added and passed Alex a scroll _

_Alex looked the scroll over carefully until the scroll vanished on its own "__thanks Dragon I owe you a rampage__" Alex said then vanished_

_Aranolys was bashing on the barrier trying to break it "__Why is this barrier so damn strong?__" he snapped when his attack suddenly collided with Alex sending him flying "__nice I finally got through__" Aranolys laughed_

_Alex stood up and brushed himself off and ignored the giant claw mark wounds on his side and walked back to the battle field leaking blood the entire way "__no way he's going to survive this fight losing so much blood__" Tania screamed_

"_DRAGON SLAYER ARTE: NINE GATES OF TARTORUS__" Alex chanted darkly and vanished from sight_

_Celestia and the others looked at each other "__what a technique Nine Gates of Tartorus it's like saying the nine paths to hell__" Esmeralda said _

_Nero was watching Alex rip Aranolys apart "__Alex has a reservoir of skills and abilities that he keeps hidden for everypony's wellbeing__" Nero explained_

_Esmeralda looked at Nero "__why does he keep so much of his skills and abilities hidden?__" She asked _

_Leiam looked at the others "__he could show you but then he would have to kill you__" Leiam said "__Never ask Alex to show you his abilities unless you want to die, one government made that mistake and he slaughtered the whole lot of them right afterwards__" Leiam explained _

_Meadow looked at Alex as he approached them covered head to hoof in dragon's blood only his hate filled eyes were distinguishable in his appearance "__Alex darling is that you?__" Meadow Rose asked as she approached him _

_Celestia dashed in front of Meadow "__it's probably best not to get near him__" Celestia said _

_Alex dropped the scythe and grabbed Meadow and Celestia "__thank heavens you're all alright__" Alex said as he held them close to himself "__please excuse me I need to go wash__" Alex said as he let the two mares go and went to leave_

_Meracle grabbed Alex's tail "__you're not going to guide us home?__"" she asked giving Alex the stare he could never resist_

_Alex smiled "__nope you have the paladins here have them guide you home__" Alex laughed and made his way towards the Everfree Forest_

_Nero started rolling on the floor laughing like crazy "__the look on your faces is fantastic__" Nero laughed pointing at them all "__Aranolys did us a favour and removed the part of Alex that allowed him to be guided by others he now is his own self__" Nero said while suppressing his own laughs _

"_But now that he doesn't need us to guide him what's he going to be like?__" Celestia whimpered_

_Alex was having a bath cleaning all the blood off "__ugh I may be able to decide things for myself what, do I do with my life?__" Alex wondered as he let the blood wash off "__why does dragons blood have to be so gosh darn thick__" he snapped angrily_

_Lauren appeared out of thin air half scaring Alex out of his wits "__how do you feel Alex dear?__" Lauren said as she helped him back to his hooves "__I do apologise for the scare my darling boy but the others told me what happened while I was away in Eagland and I had to come and make sure you were alright__" Lauren explained_

_Alex sat down and started laughing "__I'm fine honestly, a little confused on what I should do with my life now but I'm fine so no need to worry__" Alex laughed _

_Lauren decided to help Alex wash all the blood off him "__ugh this Dragons blood is going to stain your beautiful coat__" Lauren whimpered as she washed the last of the blood off and only the stains remained_

_Alex climbed out of the bath gave Lauren a hug then went to his room "__Mother can you do me a favour?__" Alex asked_

"_Of course dear, what is it?__" Lauren replied _

_Alex looked at the forest "__I want you to lock me away here in this house i can't risk myself being near the others and the foals what if I turn out badly and I become a danger to them, no I can't risk it please I ask that you lock me away in this house for at least a month at the most and don't let anypony near here__" Alex explained "__good night mother may the blessing of your family keep you safe from harm__" Alex said and went to bed_

_Lauren walked up to Alex's door and looked at him as he fell asleep "__you don't want to be a risk to your family so I'll grant your request and we will see you in a month__" Lauren whispered quietly as she walked inside kissed Alex's forehead then shut the door as she left the room and sealed the home off in such a way that even with the ear pieces on no pony could find the home hidden in the forest_

_Celestia and the others bumped into Lauren as she exited the forest "__mother we thought you had taken Myst and Shadow home what are you doing here__" Esmeralda asked happily_

_Lauren walked past them all "__if you're looking to see Alex don't bother it's under one of my spells right now and even with the ear pieces on you won't find it__" Lauren explained_

"_Why not?__" Tania whimpered "__I wanted to talk to him some more__" she complained_

_Lauren looked at Tania "__please forgive me dear but it was at Alex's request that he be locked away for a while till he is sure how he will turn out now that he can decide things for himself__" Lauren explained_

"_It's not the only way I can communicate you know__" Alex said into their heads_

_Tania freaked out and ran away "__Alex that was a little sudden wasn't it?__" Luchia giggled _

"_Disembodied voices I really don't like disembodied voices__" Tania screamed_

_Alex just chuckled "__Tania darling calm down it's me Alex I'm just speaking to you telepathically, close your eyes and you'll see__" Alex laughed_

_Tania did as she was told and found herself face to face with Alex "__oh wow I had no idea you could do this__" she giggled happily _

"_I told you about this days ago you goof and try not to talk through your mouth dear ponies will start to think you like having full blown conversations with yourself__" Alex snickered _

_The mares watched as Tania laid herself on the grass and seemed to doze off "__well she wanted to talk to Alex so I say we watch over her till she is done, who knows maybe talking to Tania will be enough to help him go down the right path__" Lauren said happily _

_The mares sat around Tania keeping her safe while she happily chatted away with Alex "__I wonder what they are talking about?__" Celestia wondered_

_Luchia hung her head "__there are a lot of things a foal needs to talk to her father about but as Tania's father has passed away she hasn't had a father figure to talk to__" Luchia explained "__the fact that she has come to see Alex as a father figure she can talk to is a weight lifted from my heart and as I work so much to support her I'm rarely ever home__" she cried as tears flowed down her face_

"_The rest of us are the same except our husband's haven't passed away yet but we are struggling to support our foals as it is and keep a roof over our heads__" Faith explained as she looked towards the castle where the paladins had taken the young stallions to play and have mock battles _

_Lauren looked at the ladies "__come back to Canterlot castle ladies you are always welcome there__" Lauren said kindly_

_The Spirit Guards looked at each other "__what do you girls think continue to struggle in Manehattan or return to Canterlot where the young ones can be happy__" Juniper said calmly_

_They conversed well into the night when Tania finally stood up "__that was one very long conversation Tania did you talk to Alex about everything that you wanted to talk about?__" Luchia asked_

_Tania smiled "__yes I did and I don't think we have to worry about Alex making bad decisions__" Tania giggled_

_Luchia just smiled "__Tania how would you like to move into Canterlot Castle, I'll be home a lot more and we won't be struggling as much__" Luchia said sweetly _

_The look on Tania's face said she liked the idea, Laurens attention returned to the house "__my spell just broke__" she gasped as Alex walked out of the forest _

_Tania was at Alex's side in a heartbeat and they were talking again "__are you ladies coming I'm here to take you back into the forest as travelling in there without an escort at this hour isn't recommended__" Alex laughed_

_Lauren looked at Alex and smiled "__do you mind if I teleport back to the castle and tell the others and also grab the foals?__" Lauren asked _

"_Of course you can__" Alex replied and Lauren headed home to get the foals_

_Meanwhile in Canterlot Castle_

_Twinkle Shine had arrived to see if Alex was home "__Mrs Twinkle Shine welcome to Canterlot Castle to what do we owe the pleasure?__" Novalis said as Twinkle entered the throne room_

_Twinkle Shine bowed her head "__I'm here to see Alex if he is here__" Twinkle replied _

_Lauren arrived on the throne room balcony "__Hello Twinkle if you can give me just a moment I'll take you to Alex so you can see him ah good you have your ear piece on excellent__" Lauren said happily as she wandered into Alex's room and grabbed the twin fillies and twin colts "__Novalis be a darling and grab Myst and Shadow please then__take them to the house in the forest please I'll be along shortly with Twinkle Shine and Alex's four foals__" Lauren explained "__hush now little ones grandma will get you to mommy and daddy in just a moment__" she giggled and returned to the throne room "__shall we go Twinkle__" Lauren asked and noticed that Twinkle had collapsed "__TWINKLE SHINE HOLD ON__" Lauren screamed and grabbed Twinkle Shine and teleported back to the house in the forest and appeared near Alex "__Alex please take her she doesn't have much time left__" she pleaded_

_Alex grabbed Twinkle Shine and held her on his wings "__come on Twinkle stay with me sweet heart, I may not be able to give you eternal life like I did for Millie but I can at least extend your life by giving you some of my own__" Alex said as he placed his horn against Twinkle's and poured some of his own life energy into her _

_Twinkle Shine suddenly started gasping for breath "__I thought I was going to die__" she gasped as she left Alex's embrace "__I feel fifty years younger, Alex what did you do to me__" she asked _

_Alex was smacking his head into a tree "__Stupid bloody idiot your affinity is nature of course that is going to happen__" Alex said angrily_

_Twinkle Shine pulled Alex away from the tree "__Alex what are you doing you're hurting yourself come on dear stop it__" Twinkle Shine cried _

_The others were looking at Twinkle shine completely shocked "__Twinkle you look exactly like you did fifty years ago__" Lauren gasped _

_Twinkle looked herself over and screamed "__How did this happen?__" she wondered_

_Alex was washing his face "__that was my fault actually when I transferred some of my life energy into you I inadvertently restored your youth as well I hope you can forgive me__" Alex said apologetically and bowed his head_

_Twinkle shine just smiled "__I'm not going to forgive instead I'm going to thank you not every pony gets this type of a treat you know__" Twinkle giggled happily_

_Alex shook his head "__what is your family going to think?__" Alex asked _

"_My husband passed away two years ago and my daughter doesn't talk to me anymore for some filly reason and has moved to Maretropolis, so now that I look like this I'm going to use this to my advantage__" Twinkle giggled then looked at Alex "__as much as I want to I'm not going to__" she laughed as she brushed Alex's face with her tail _

_Alex caught her tail in his mouth and his body pulsed with magic and Alex carried Twinkle shine to his room by her tail and sealed the room "__not what you have in mind Twinkle I'm just acting like this to make the girls think I've brought you in here to play__" Alex explained then his expression turned serious "__are you sure you're alright with being this young again?__" Alex asked _

_Twinkle looked at herself in Alex's mirror and smiled "__my husband is gone and my daughter doesn't like me anymore so if I look like this maybe I can be free to do whatever I like again__" Twinkle said sadly as she looked in the mirror_

_Alex nuzzled Twinkle Shine "__are you sure you don't want to make amends with your daughter Twinkle before it's too late__" Alex said "__if it helps I can go with you__" he added and kissed Twinkle's cheek_

_Twinkle looked at Alex and smiled "__you were the cause of our Argument you know__" She said with a gentle laugh_

_Alex tilted his head sideways "__how so?__" he asked_

"_My little Daffodil didn't believe that I knew you and as you had vanished I couldn't prove my claim so we got into an argument and in the end she just up and left__" Twinkle Shine explained_

_Alex hung his head "__I'm sorry to hear that but now that I am back you can finally prove your claim, now what say I clear your urges for you__" Alex chuckled as he nudged Twinkle's rump with his nose_

"_Just the touch and shock method will be more enough thank you Alex__" Twinkle replied_

_Alex smiled gently "__as you wish__" Alex laughed and he placed his hoof on Twinkle's birth canal and sent the usual electric charge down his hoof_

_Meanwhile outside the room_

_Celestia was angrier then she had been in years "__I thought I told him only me and Esmeralda__" she said angrily _

_Lauren patted her daughter on the back with her wing "__relax Celestia if you were paying attention to him Alex had no lust on him he took Twinkle in there to talk to her you really need to have more faith in him now that he can make his own decisions__" Lauren explained then looked at the door "__he just used the touch and shock method on Twinkle shine, such a helpful stallion__" Lauren giggled_

_Twinkle Shine walked out on her own a short time later and the others had noticed Alex had laid down for a nap "__I hope you don't mind but Alex said he would like to have a nap, a lot has happened to him today and he needs the rest but he said if you wanted to leave the foals with him you're more than welcome to do so__" Twinkle said happily "__do you mind if I wander around as I think I'll be spending a lot of time here, if only Moon Dancer and Minutte were still alive they would have loved this place__" Twinkle whimpered_

_Celestia looked at Alex then at Twinkle Shine "__so Alex didn't mount you then?__" Celestia asked_

"_Heavens no he has you and Esmeralda why in Equestria would he want to mount me__" Twinkle said innocently "__while the idea is nice and something I would enjoy I'll not do it, I'll just settle for the touch and shock method thank you__" Twinkle giggled_

_Leiam looked at Alex sleeping on his bedroom floor "__how does he do it, I heard he mounted Chloe only because it was for the sake of the mission but how many other mares has he mounted I wonder?__" Leiam asked _

_Esmeralda walked up to Leiam and Chloe "__let me see now umm, there's Celestia, Arachnae, Meracle, Myself, Meadow Rose, Chloe, The Sarunamai sisters and Grace if memory serves me well enough__" Esmeralda explained "__but Celestia is always Alex's favourite he loves us all the same but Celestia is his wife so she will hold more of his heart and he will sacrifice anything to save her over the rest of us__" Esmeralda said again _

_Lauren was watching Leiam and Chloe "__so Chloe I take it you have chosen Leiam as your special somepony__" Lauren giggled happily_

_Chloe just blushed "__his presence feels like Alex's a little which is one reason why I have come to like him so yes he is the one I like__" Chloe replied _

_Leiam was confused "__I've only been here a short while but what, does special somepony mean exactly?__" Leiam asked as he was highly confused_

_Luchia just giggled "__in Human terms that you understand it means boyfriend or girlfriend__" Luchia laughed happily_

_Leiam went red in the face "__No, no I'm not really that type of material, surely you can find somepony better than me__" Leiam stammered as he backed away_

_Chloe laid down on the floor and didn't budge another inch "__you are the one I've chosen Leiam now it's up to you to decide how you feel about me__" Chloe said patiently and just waited _

_The rest of the family watched Leiam as he let his thoughts wander, he was thinking for a good twenty minutes "__look at that he's slowly coming to a decision, and as Chloe is currently in Alex's care if she was to find a pony that she could be with he would be over the moon for her__" Lauren said quietly_

_Leiam looked at Chloe still red in the face "__are you sure it's me you want to be with?__" Leiam asked _

_Chloe went red in the face as well "__there is no other that has the same feel as Alex and you are remarkably handsome as well and the short period of time we have been together I've come to love you quite deeply so no there is no other pony I would rather be with__" Chloe said as she walked over to Leiam_

_Leiam just smiled "__if it is my heart you want I offer myself to you, body and soul__" Leiam said happily_

_Celestia just laughed "__that's the exact same line Alex said to me when I asked him to be my special somepony__" Celestia giggled _

_The following day was spent under the cherry blossom trees Chloe was lying across Leiam's back with a smile on her face, Esmeralda was watching the new couple happily "__oh it seems Clover and Bryce have woken up, Celestia you had best see to Sarah and Rhianna too before they wake their father up__" Esmeralda said happily as she wondered off to get her boys _

_Celestia got to her hooves and went to get the girls while the others stayed under the shade of the trees "__I remember the day I first met Alex he was an absolute wreck and was in no condition to do much of anything after Lauren had removed and destroyed his magic wellspring but my bath at home and its special healing properties managed to bring him back and on the same day my aunt arrived and stripped me of the title of empress and kicked me out of my own home, Alex took me under his wing and raised me to be the ruler I am today, but I think I might be handing down the Empress title to Hinata and retire here to Equestria where I can live out the rest of eternity in peace__" Sakura explained_

_Hinata smacked her mother on the head "__I've told you before mother I will not take the title of empress the most I'll be is an emissary for you and that will be all__" Hinata snapped and marched off "__Alex raised you to rule Xing and you were given eternal life by Lauren, and now you're going to just hand the title over and give up on their work to just retire__" She cried and raced off to Alex's room _

_Sakura hung her head "__she needs to understand that being an empress isn't easy juggling the wellbeing of your ponies and that of your personal family, I may be immortal now but that doesn't mean I can rule Xing forever__" Sakura said sadly "__I just pray that one day she will understand, Esmeralda, Celestia welcome back and aren't they darling__" Sakura giggled as she saw the new born foals_

_Clover, Bryce, Sarah and Rhianna were lying happily on their mother's wings, Celestia and Esmeralda laid themselves down when Alex suddenly appeared out of thin Air still fast asleep he drained enough milk from both mothers then teleported back to bed "__nice back into his role as a father in the blink of an eye__" Lauren giggled and she went to cover Alex back over again_

_The friends gathered around the foals to examine them while they fed and once they were done they played with them "__they sure are lively for being only a few days old__" Viola said as she poked Sarah's belly _

_Lauren returned with Novalis, Myst and Shadow "__there's my baby brothers__" Esmeralda said happily _

_Novalis levitated all the ponies up off the grass and laid a blanket down then put everypony down again "__there we go now everypony can be nice and comfy__" Novalis laughed as he laid himself on the blanket "__so how has everypony been?__" he asked then turned his attention to Alex's spirit guards "__we'll see you ladies and your young ones back at the castle when you are ready we'll even send some of the royal guards to help you all move__" Novalis suggested _

_Meanwhile at the Gate of Tartorus_

_Two ponies came out of the cave behind Cerberus who attacked them with the full intent of sending them back to the afterlife "__Inept beast get out of our way we have a job to do__" the stallion snapped and with a single attack injured Cerberus so badly he couldn't move_

"_Don't you think that was a bit much Macs?__" the mare asked_

_Macs turned to the mare just behind him "__Phoebe please this three headed mutt attacked us we followed the traces of Alex's spirit all the way to this god forsaken place and why the hell are we horses?__" Macs snapped as they walked past Cerberus "__what say we head towards that town over there and see if we can't find some information on our idiot sons and daughter?__" he said angrily_

_Phoebe nodded her head "__we fought our way out of the afterlife and ended up taking the longest path out of hell to get here so if we find him he's in for some serious punishment__" Phoebe snapped_

_Macs and Phoebe Theotanasia made their way towards Ponyville "__why, are there so many horses here and what could Alex, Nero and Viola be doing here?__" Macs said darkly_

_Millie walked up to the new ponies in town "__sorry to intrude but I heard you mention Alex's name and was wondering if you need him for something?__" Millie asked kindly_

_Phoebe stepped right into Millie's face "__and how exactly do you know my son?__" she snapped _

_Millie took several steps back equipped her ear piece and teleported to Alex's home in the forest "__that was weird indeed__" Macs said as he looked around "__WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT?__" he roared at the nearby ponies making them scatter_

"_WHAT IN THE NINE PATHS OF HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?__" Alex roared as he appeared out of thin air with Nero and Viola beside him "__guess I can say this to your face, I never wanted to see you again__" Alex said darkly_

_Phoebe walked up to Alex and slapped him "__we came here to take you home and this is how you treat us you ungrateful brat, we raised you and trained you to be perfect__" she started saying _

"_YOU RAISED ME TO BE A WEAPON OF MASS MURDER__" Alex snapped making Phoebe take several steps back "__here in Equestria I am happy for the first time in a long time, I'm married and I have a family of my own sure I still kill a lot of ponies but I do it now in defence of my family not because it's my job__" Alex said "__as a prince of Equestria I hereby order you to leave and never bother me and my family again__" Alex ordered and turned to walk away_

_Macs moved so fast Alex didn't detect him and drove Alex head first into the ground "__why you little__" he said darkly "__you know the rules of the family turning your back on the Theotanasia family is punishable only by death__" Macs explained_

_Celestia rear kicked Macs in the face "__you will not touch my husband__" She snapped as she and Esmeralda protected Alex from his parents fury "__by all right you both should have passed away years ago__" Celestia said darkly_

"_It's true we did die about 20 years ago I think but we fought our way out of the afterlife and made our way into hell then made our way here all the while following traces of Alex's spirit__" Phoebe explained _

"_Once I'm done with you there will be no way in hell you will be coming back__" Alex said darkly as he stood up_

"_We'll kill you before Alex goes on a rampage, Everypony for your own safety head back into your homes and don't come out__" Nero ordered and the ponies scattered to their homes_

"_Nero you have always been a smart boy so we won't kill you and your sister we are only after Alex__" Macs said calmly_

_Viola stepped forward "__you don't seem to get it, we won't let you kill our big brother you'll have to kill us first but I promise you it won't be easy isn't that right phoenix__" Viola said and her body ignited_

_Phoenix looked at Macs and Phoebe "__indeed Viola we will not let them hurt Alex the only way to get to him is to kill us__" Phoenix said _

_Luna arrived with Dream and Luna was in Nightmare Moon state "__it won't just be you two fighting for Alex's defence we'll be defending him too__" Luna said _

_Esmeralda teleported Alex a safe distance back "__Alex hold on darling we'll drive them back and you won't have to lift a hoof against them__" Esmeralda said as she magically started to clean the blood from Alex's face_

_Macs and Phoebe stepped back as they saw the level of Alex's defence "__how impressive that's a 5 layer barrier defence__" Macs said_

_Phoebe just smiled "__they can try as much as they like to stop us but we will kill Alex for betraying the family__" Phoebe laughed_

_Nero and Viola headed up the defence with Celestia and Luna behind them followed by Alex's eldest foals then the Paladins of Harmony then the Princesses of Harmony and between them and Alex was Lauren and Novalis themselves "__Esmeralda do me a favour and get the foals away from here if my parents learn about them well you get the idea__" Alex explained as he teleported the foals to his side "__Go Esmeralda I'm count on you__" Alex said kindly _

"_But Alex darling what about you?__" Esmeralda asked as she was very concerned_

_Alex took his half Anthro form and went straight into Meditation "__I'm going to prepare a nightmare for them the others don't stand a chance against them I'm the only one that can go against them but I'm going to have to return to my roots I need my old mental state back__" Alex explained and a barrier appeared around him "__Go Esmeralda and stay hidden__" Alex said and Esmeralda teleported away with the foals_

_Phoebe looked defeated "__could those have been new born foals was that the reason Alex had them removed from the battlefield?__" Phoebe wondered_

_The battle raged for days and Macs and Phoebe were winning easily only Lauren and Novalis were putting up a fight Nero watched injured with a massive slash down the left side of his face right across his eye "__Rarity darling please tell me you're alright__" Nero gasped as he dragged himself towards Rarity _

"_Nero it hurts so much I can still feel everything but my legs and wings are broken, why do your parents have to be so violent?__" Rarity asked as she hugged Nero_

_Lauren screamed in agony as she fell to Phoebe and in his attempt to rescue her Novalis fell as well "__they aren't half bad at all they managed to hold us off for nearly three weeks that's far longer than any human__" Phoebe said "__now there's only one pony left__" she said darkly _

_Alex stood up and his Falcon Talons appeared "__look at what you have done to them__" Alex cried as he magiced his family and friends to him "__you all fought so hard and did so well now it's my turn I vow to win or die trying now rest and watch how the Theotanasia families ultimate weapon does battle__" Alex said putting every pony down and covered them in a barrier_

_Macs was laughing "__Viola and Nero couldn't beat us in their sacred beast mode what do you think you can do without dragon under your control__" Macs laughed_

"_Indeed if you could control Dragon like Viola and Nero could control Phoenix and Comet then you might pose a threat to us__" Phoebe said _

"_Thanks for the idea__" Alex said darkly "__what do you think dragon you up for that rampage I promised you?__" Alex laughed darkly _

_To the shock of Phoebe and Macs, Alex's eyes changed "__a chance to rip your parent's apart hell yeah let me at them__" Dragon said darkly _

_Alex's body lit up and started changing shape "__when did Alex get control of Dragon?__" Macs said as he started to panic_

_Phoebe took several steps back "__we had enough trouble suppressing him in Arunami but if he is in control now we might not be able to beat him__" Phoebe cried _

_Alex's roar signalled the end of his transformation "__Alex offers you two choices either surrender now or perish__" Dragon said darkly _

_Macs and Phoebe attacked at the same time and Dragon took off right at them "__Come on dragon you can do it__" Celestia said weakly as she healed her wounded midsection _

_Novalis was tending to the others while he bled out "__Novalis honey our wounds aren't as bad as yours now let us get you healed up__" Lauren said as she started healing Novalis "__Alex's parents are incredible they managed to fight off all of us and even managed to wound two god like beings they are not to be laughed at__" Lauren snipped as she watched Dragon fight on_

_The battle raged for nearly a month neither side taking a break when suddenly Phoebe screamed in pain as Dragon managed to sink his razor sharp teeth into her throat "__Dragon stop please that's enough just put Phoebe down and we'll leave you alone__" Macs cried _

_Despite his upbringing Macs was a family man himself and his wife in jeopardy made him very open to negotiations, Dragon refused to let Phoebe go "__Alex promised me a rampage and I see killing this sorry excuse of a mare as a part of my rampage__" Dragon replied telepathically_

_Macs bowed "__I ask you to please let her go and we'll never bother Alex again__" Macs pleaded _

_Lauren and Novalis had recovered from their battle nicely and stepped up beside Dragon "__Dragon put her down carefully and let us tend to her please__" Novalis said _

_Dragon refused to let go of his prey "__Dragon be a good boy and let Phoebe go for me, there's a good boy gently now and return Alex to us please I need to speak with him__" Lauren said sweetly as she brushed Dragon's face with her hoof_

_Dragon put Phoebe down gently and let her go "__As you wish Lauren__" Dragon replied and then transformed back into Alex_

_Alex instantly stepped on his own mother's throat and started crushing it "__Alex no stop it's over I'm sure she isn't a threat to you anymore__" Lauren squeaked and removed Alex's hoof from Phoebe's throat "__Now Macs was it why exactly did you decide that Alex needed to be killed__" Lauren asked _

_Macs stood back up and made his way to his wife and Novalis and Lauren placed their wings in front of Phoebe preventing Macs from reaching her "__we can't let you near her until you tell us Macs but don't worry we won't let her die__" Novalis said_

_Lauren looked at Alex "__the foals need you at home now go and leave this to us__" Lauren said and Alex bolted for home _

_Macs made to move and stop Alex from getting away "__Alex left the family over fifty years ago without so much as words as to why and that transgression is punishable by death and then Viola and Nero did the same and Phoebe and I decided that even in death we would find Alex and give him the punishment he deserves__" Macs explained_

_Novalis shook his head "__do you know why Alex let Dragon fight in his stead__" Novalis asked and Macs shook his head "__you injured Alex's seven eldest foals not to mention his wife, he transferred his hatred and anger into Dragon and let him go absolutely wild__" Novalis explained_

_Macs looked around "__we injured his foals good lord I had no idea they were part of the battle tell me which ones they are please__" Macs gasped_

"_That would be us__" Noelle said darkly as she and her brothers and Sisters stepped forward_

_Macs was stunned "__there are seven of them__" he stuttered _

"_And there are four more at home__" Lauren said as she helped Phoebe to her hooves "__easy now your blood needs time to restore__" Lauren explained _

"_Why are you being so kind to us I mean we injured all of you?__" Phoebe gasped as she took several deep breathes _

"_You're lucky you were only fighting the Equestrian Royal Family if you had injured any of the normal pony folk we would have let Dragon kill the pair of you__" Novalis said with a smile_

_Macs sat down "__so when Alex said he was a Prince of Equestria that means he married one of your daughters__" Macs stammered_

_Novalis nodded his head "__my second eldest daughter Celestia yes__" Novalis said calmly_

_Celestia walked forward "__indeed and I'm glad I chose him to be my special somepony he has been very good to me and taught me many things about a normal life despite his upbringing by you two__" Celestia said calmly "__please excuse me I must go see to Sarah and Rhianna__" Celestia said sternly and teleported home_

_Phoebe managed to recover at last "__wait are you telling me he has nine foals now?__" she asked _

"_Eleven actually I do believe I said that a few moments ago__" Lauren laughed "__I know it may be presumptuous of me but would you like to see them, I can take you there but on one condition__" Lauren said sternly_

_Macs looked at Lauren sideways "__which is?__" he asked_

_Lauren raised her wings into the air "__never attempt to take Alex's life again, we've worked so hard to make his life as quiet as possible and we've already had to resurrect him once on top of that we've nearly lost him nearly 40 times due to severe injuries__" Lauren explained_

_Macs and Phoebe spoke to each other quietly for nearly an hour "__I see his life has been rough here as well if not worse, we trained him to be an assassin but not even we could predict how he would turn out, he was raised to follow the guidance of others, please tell me what was he like when he first arrived here__" Phoebe asked "__It may not seem like it now after the way we behaved and attacked all of you but we were following tradition, I love my young ones and it was with a heavy heart that we came to the decision to kill Alex but seeing his life here we've come to decide that it would be best to leave him be__" Phoebe explained as she looked at Macs who nodded his head in agreement _

_Lauren liked what she was hearing "__here these are for you without them you won't be finding Alex's home in the forest where we keep him hidden now follow us and please refrain from anything silly, by the way on behalf of the Equestrian Royal Family welcome to Equestria__" Lauren said as she turned around and headed towards the forest with Novalis and the others_

_Phoebe looked at Macs "__they are awfully forgiving aren't they?__" she asked_

_Macs looked around him "__you can tell the Royal family does a lot to keep the peace around here while our lives back on Erunera weren't quiet now that I have calmed down I like the feel of this place__" Macs said calmly as he looked around at the ponies coming out of their homes "__please forgive us for the disturbance and know that we no longer mean any harm__" Macs called out to the ponies then turned and continued to follow Lauren and the others_

"_You both must be tired, two months of straight up fighting must have you exhausted__" Melody said as she fell back to walk with Macs and Phoebe "__so you are my grandparents from dad's side of the family, nice to meet you I'm Melody that mare over there is my twin sister Noelle, this is Jaide and Hanon, that's Pearl, she was a bit of an Accident like Lukas and Rino but dad still loves them all the same and the new born foals, Sarah, Rhianna, Bryce and Clover were wall intentional__" Melody explained happily _

_Noelle slowed her pace as well "__judging by size and appearance you are both Clydesdales and Alicorn Clydesdales at that I guess we'll be teaching you how to fly and use magic than, don't be surprised if it takes dad a while to warm up to you though as you did try kill him__" Noelle said _

_Macs was looking himself over as he walked along "__I don't know what it is about this world but I feel calm now and free for some reason, I hope we can start things anew with Alex as a better family who knows maybe even fight side by side to defend this place__" Macs said_

_Lauren looked behind her "__Novalis and I created this world ourselves and we designed it to be a place of peace and happiness but sadly it was not meant to last, your son has risked his life again and again to keep this world safe for his family and friends, his wings have been ripped out sliced off his horn has been ripped from his head his body ripped open, at one point I was forced to remove and shatter his magic wellspring to protect him it wasn't a decision I take lightly__" Lauren explained _

"_Enough chatter we're here now keep your voices down the foals are most likely asleep with Alex__" Novalis said sternly_

_Macs and Phoebe had stopped in their track "__this place is gorgeous does Alex really live here?__" Phoebe asked _

"_Dad lives here with mother and us as well as Aunty Esmeralda other than that no pony else lives here__" Jaide said happily as she pranced along_

_Macs was stunned "__they are treating us like nothing happened, Why__" Macs wondered "__Sorry if I seem rude but I'm not moving another step until you tell us what you are planning__" Macs said angrily but keeping his voice down as to not wake the foals _

_Novalis nodded his head "__I understand why you would think that, but I assure you as the King of Equestria we aren't planning anything we just thought you would like to see the new born foals and realise that Alex is happy here more so than he was on Erunera__" Novalis explained "__feel free to wash up if you like__" Novalis said kindly as he wandered off to Alex's room _

_Alex was fast asleep with his four youngest foals sleeping soundly on his wings and Esmeralda sleeping soundly in front of Alex pressed up against his coat, Phoebe poked her head in the door to Alex's room "__If my son is married Celestia then who is that, I can't believe my own son is cheating on his own wife__" Phoebe snapped_

_Celestia just laughed "__it's actually alright I know about Esmeralda__" Celestia giggled as she walked into the room and laid herself beside Alex _

"_That's correct__" Esmeralda agreed as she woke up_

_Alex's eyes snapped open and rested on his parents in the blink of an eye everypony was locked in his dimensional pocket and Alex bared his teeth revealing a pair of Canines not common for an Equine "__How did you get here?__" Alex snapped_

"_Alex darling let us out we brought them here after their defeat at Dragon's claws they've promised not to attack you again__" Lauren called from inside the Dimensional pocket_

_Alex laughed darkly "__my parents are master assassins they specialise in deception__" Alex snapped and his armour appeared on his body "__I'll kill you myself__" Alex roared_

"_YOU NEED TO LISTEN WHEN SOMEPONY IS TALKING TO YOU__" Macs and Phoebe snapped as the slammed their wings either side of Alex's neck dropping him like a bad habit_

"_Alex be a good boy and let them out__" Phoebe said sweetly with a gentle smile_

_Alex's body shuddered, he snapped his wings open and with a powerful beat of his wings blew his Parents out of his room and in a flash of light teleported the others and the foals onto the grass and slammed his door shut and while no pony could see him teleported away from the house "__well that was rude__" Rarity said coldly as she walked up to Alex's door "__Alex you naughty stallion come out here this instant and say sorry__" Rarity snapped and opened the bedroom door _

_Rarity's scream of shock told the others something was wrong "__Rarity what's the matter?__" Nero called as he got to Alex's room "__oh I see__" he said and shook his head _

_Phoebe walked up to the door "__I guess he doesn't plan on forgiving us huh__" Phoebe said weakly _

_Macs sat down "__do you know if Alex has a favourite place he goes to in order to calm down?__" Macs asked _

_Celestia looked towards the forest "__normally it would be in the heart of the forest where the source of his magic is located, let's try their first and see if he is there__" Celestia explained and led the way "__I'm going to warn you now if Alex is in the mood to kill you the Forest will attempt to do the will of its champion so stay vigilant as the forest is deadly and do watch out for the timber wolves they are basically Alex's pets__" Celestia said calmly_

"_How can you be so calm if the forest is going to try and kill us?__" Phoebe gasped "__AH NO STAY AWAY__" she screamed swatting away some vines that were approaching her _

"_Those are grabber vines their a practical joke vine that like to grab ponies for fun it's when we__" Celestia said and cut off midsentence_

"_The royal family can pass but Macs and Phoebe must leave, Alex doesn't wish to see them__" Efreet snapped_

"_Indeed and just when Alex was getting over the fight with Aranolys these too just had to show up, do you know how much trouble I had healing that horrible wound you left on poor Cerberus's belly__" Undine said angrily_

"_Alex's anger is understandable and has given me orders that if they so much as argue I can rip the air from their lungs and suffocate the pair of them__" Sylph said_

"_And I'm allowed to use my earth to swallow them whole__" Gnome said darkly_

_The others stood there shocked that the four great Spirits would appear just to enforce Alex's will "__can you please make the exception just this once Macs and Phoebe just want to talk to Alex so they can clear all this up__" Lauren said _

"_I'm sorry but even if the Queen of Equestria asks I won't let them pass, even if I did let them pass the forest will kill them the moment they get past us__" Undine explained and looked behind her "__ugh I hate telling lies, if you're looking for Alex you will find him in Canterlot Castle having a bath just don't expect him to be happy to see you__" Undine said and the four great Spirits disappeared_

_Macs stood there stunned with one hoof off the ground "__he even controls the four great Spirits of nature amazing__" he said_

"_Well I personally think you two shouldn't be here as you are bringing back bad memories that he has spent nearly seventy years trying to forget__" Luchia said _

"_Luchia please you may be one of Alex's spirit guards but try to be nice__" Lauren asked kindly _

_Luchia stuck her nose in the air and walked off "__if Octavia was alive she would have calmed him down enough that listening to his parents would have been an option for him but seeing as they attacked instead of talked upon their arrival here I can't blame him for not even wanting to look at them, now if you will excuse me__" Luchia snapped_

_Phoebe looked at Macs "__we did cause him a lot of pain as he grew up he never smiled not even once, we rarely praised him for his good deeds and punished him severely if he messed up even once, and when he was thirteen he never came home he only contacted us by phone and called us Macs and Phoebe never once did he refer to us as Mother and Father, then there was that injury from an exploding building the ripped him open all over the place then another incident where his right arm was ripped off, don't get me started with all the fatal illnesses that he overcame, after that he quit being an assassin and only ever came out of his room to eat and use the bathroom__" Phoebe explained_

_Macs hung his head "__then when he won that world tour and eventually went missing while on it, we saw him two years later on the news in a massive fight with an overseas government fighting for his life he was using a new set of weapons at the time they were attached to his hands and feet__" Macs said as he recalled the memory_

"_It was a live feed too meaning it was happening while we watched, of course Alex won but he was so badly injured and he ran for his life, every time we saw him after that he was fighting for his life, I admit seeing him perform so well I was proud of him, then one day a few years later the news reported that Alex had vanished in a flash of light and they had video footage of Alex vanishing into thin air never to be seen again__" Phoebe said_

_Macs looked up at the ponies around him "__if only he was born into another family maybe he would not have had such a miserable life__" Macs said _

_Macs and Phoebe hadn't realised that Alex had appeared behind them, Alex shook his head and as quietly as he had arrived he vanished again, Alex returned to his room and just floated in mid-air and decided to read a book he was happily reading his book when the others arrived to see him "__Alex dear can your parents talk to you please?__" Meadow asked _

_Alex rolled his eyes and fell from the air and straight through the floor "__honestly a pony can't read in peace anymore__" Alex snapped darkly_

_Meadow looked around Alex's room "__where did he go this time__" she wondered as she looked at the spot Alex vanished _

_Chloe walked into the room "__did he vanish into the floor or walls?__" Chloe asked sweetly_

_Meadow nodded her head "__yes he did, Chloe do you know where he went?__" Meadow replied_

_Chloe looked around the room "__where he is we can't even talk to him, the shadow world of Equestria is his hiding place now we can't even get to him__" Chloe said sadly_

_Noelle walked into the room then looked around "__ah there it is__" she said and walked straight through the wall_

"_WHAT THE BUCK__" Meadow gasped and followed Noelle "__This is the Shadow World of Equestria this place is beautiful__" Meadow said as she looked around _

"_Father come down here please your parent's just want to talk that's all we promise__" Noelle said as she flew up to her father_

_Alex closed his book "__alright fine I'll talk to them just don't expect me to like it__" Alex sighed and flew through the wall_

_Celestia screamed as Alex appeared from the wall and just continued to float in mid-air "__Alex there you are dear finally ready to talk are you?__" Celestia giggled as she flew up to Alex _

_Alex looked at Celestia and smiled for the first time all day "__yeah I'll talk to them but I'll do it from up here__" Alex said and kissed Celestia_

_Celestia landed again and looked at the bedroom door "__Mother you can bring them in now__" Celestia called_

"_Alex my darling boy thank you for giving them a chance__" Lauren said as she guided Macs and Phoebe into the room _

_Phoebe looked up to see Alex staring at them while floating upside down "__Alex can you come down here so we can speak to you please?__" Phoebe asked _

_Alex sensed the kindness in her words and decided to correct his position "__I'll stay up here if you don't mind but you have my undivided attention__" Alex replied as he closed his book and threw it at the bookshelf and it landed in the place Alex drew it from_

"_Nice shot__" Macs said as he looked up at Alex_

_Alex suddenly looked around his room "__start talking before I decide on another book to read__" Alex said sternly as he flew along his book shelves _

_Lauren looked at the others "__come on let's give them some room__" Lauren said calmly and the others left the room_

_Celestia closed and locked the door "__I pray he keeps his cool in there the last thing Phoebe needs is to come face to face with Dragon again__" Celestia explained _

_Lauren diverted into the kitchen to make dinner as it was rather late Meadow walked into the dining hall "__I'll prepare the table shall I?__" Meadow giggled as she gathered enough plates for everypony_

_They prepared Dinner and set the table, dinner took nearly an hour to prepare when Phoebe and Macs came out on their own "__what do you think Macs do you think he'll forgive us?__" Phoebe asked_

_Macs looked back towards Alex's room "__I'm not exactly sure to be honest but I hope we managed to get through to him and I hope he understands that we are sorry__" Macs replied _

"_I gather your talk with Alex is over then, now come and have something to eat__" Lauren said kindly and guided Macs and Phoebe to their seats "__I'm going to be the first to say this, Despite our rough first meeting I believe your lives here in Equestria will be peaceful, but eventful__" Lauren announced _

_Macs and Phoebe looked at each other "__I wouldn't be surprised if the Grim Reaper comes for us soon__" Phoebe said _

"_I agree we did cause quite a disturbance in the afterlife and in hell__" Macs added as he ate his food_

"_Well then me being here shouldn't be any surprise__" Mal'thaelle said darkly _

_Macs and Phoebe squeaked in fright "__we weren't expecting you quite so quickly__" Macs said as he stood up "__we are ready for our punishment__" he added_

_Mal'thaelle slammed his scythe into the floor "__your punishment is this, while others will consider it a gift, you are to stay here in Equestria and you are to make sure Alex doesn't get sent my way again__" Mal'thaelle said again "__and before you ask it's a combo punishment, present as we have never had anyone or pony fight their way out of the afterlife and fight their way through hell before so this is a bit of a present for doing the unthinkable now I must get back to work good day__" Mal'thaelle said and vanished as fast as he appeared_

_Alex was standing at the dining hall door looking extremely weak "__you have no idea what I had to pay him for him to do that__" Alex stammered then collapsed onto the door frame_

_Celestia and Esmeralda were at Alex's side in a second "__Alex darling what did you do to yourself to let them off the hook like that?__" Celestia asked _

_Esmeralda screamed "__the section of his soul that controls his wings is gone__" Esmeralda cried_

"_What does that mean exactly?__" Phoebe asked_

_Esmeralda looked at Phoebe "__like the body that needs blood muscles and nerves to control it we need the soul to control the body, Basically unless we can find something Mal'thaelle wants Alex will never be able to use his wings again and flying is obviously out of the question__" Esmeralda explained _

"_No way Alex why did you do that?__" Macs asked _

_Alex just shook his head and walked through the wall "__He did it as a show of good will to show you that life in Equestria can lead to happiness not found anywhere else in the universe__" Mal'thaelle said as he reappeared out of thin air_

_Meadow looked at Mal'thaelle "__tell us what, do we need to give you in order to restore Alex's wings?__" she asked_

_Mal'thaelle tapped his chin "__I'm not exactly heartless so I'll make it easy, Alicorn Feathers are extremely rare and hard to come by I think if I get three feathers from each of you then I can give Alex back the use of his wings, but it will take about three to 9 months for his wings to come back to normal__" Mal'thaelle explained_

_The family wasted not even a second removing three of their own feathers each and passed them to Mal'thaelle "__Honestly you ponies should learn to leave things well enough alone__" Alex said as he walked out of the wall _

"_The debt is paid and the reward been given may you all live happily in the makers light__" Mal'thaelle said and left again._


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

_The last few months of Meracle's pregnancy which was news to the whole family including Alex though he knew he wasn't the father, were relaxed and calm, Alex's wings still weren't usable not that he cared as he tended to Meracle during her labour "__does he always do this himself__" Phoebe asked_

"_Yes he does usually when he isn't recovering from serious injuries__" Lauren explained happily _

_Macs looked at Alex while he helped Meracle with her labour "__how many injures has he had while here__" Macs asked_

_Celestia stepped up next to Lauren "__wings ripped out numerous times, wings, legs, ribs broken, numerous near fatal wounds from fighting dragons chest ripped open and left lung shredded, horn snapped off, fractured skull sever level burns and many more__" Celestia explained _

"_Don't forget being poisoned, his heart stopping twenty five times, and his actual death__" Fluttershy said as she and the other Princesses of Harmony entered the room, Fluttershy was holding her baby sister Willow Mist which was also news _

_Celestia suddenly had tears in her eyes "__don't remind me about his death please__" she cried _

_Phoebe was stunned "__he actually died__" she gasped _

"_Yes I did now be quiet please I'm working here__" Alex snapped as he still hadn't come to forgive his parents for his troubles in the past but he knew that all new beginnings start with but a single step and a single act of kindness and despite his mistrust of his own parents he was going to give them the benefit of the doubt that they only wanted to live peacefully "__Mother do me a favour please can you get me some water from my bath and father I need some towels can you get them for me as well please__" Alex asked kindly _

_Phoebe's face lit up "__of course Alex right away__" Phoebe said happily and she dashed off to the bathroom_

_Lauren was looking at Alex impressed "__finally decided to trust them have you__" she asked with a smile_

_Alex didn't even look away from Meracle "__All new beginnings start with but a single step I'll give them enough of my trust to rely on them for a few things other than that I'll keep my defences up__" Alex explained_

_Macs returned with the towels "__that much of your trust is more that we can ask for Alex thank you__" Macs said happily "__Alex try pressing just in front of her womb, there should be a pressure point there which should help ease her pain and make the delivery a bit easier for her__" Macs explained and Alex did as he was told "__and with luck after the foal is born she should be able to move around on her own right away__" he laughed_

_Alex looked at his father "__Aquine labour is usually performed in the ocean not on dry land so this is extra hard on her__" Alex said _

"_Maybe I can be of assistance then__" Undine said as she appeared out of thin air "__first things first protect the books and other furniture then give the other ponies the ability to breathe underwater then fill the room up with ocean water__" Undine said happily_

_Alex and Meracle swam around the room and it was about 20 minutes later that little Glimmer was born and Undine removed the water from the room and removed her other spells "__Thank you Undine that was a big help__" Alex said as he gathered up the towels and proceeded to dry glimmer off "__hush now little filly uncle's got you it's alright there now see you're safe and sound__" Alex said happily and rubbed his nose on Glimmer's belly _

"_Would you look at that__" Phoebe said happily_

_Macs nodded his head "__this is the life he was meant for look at that smile he never smiled at all back on Erunera__" Macs said as a smile crept across his face then turned his attention to Novalis "__if you don't mind my asking how old is Celestia__" he asked kindly_

_Novalis looked at Celestia and smiled "__I'll make it simple, there's nearly one thousand years between Alex and Celestia__" Novalis chuckled "__us Alicorns have a very long time for breeding you see I'm forty nine years older than Lauren so after next year breeding for us will no longer be an option, don't get me wrong we can still play but I'll be sterile and be unable to impregnate her anymore__" Novalis explained "__for the record I'll be five thousand years old next year__" he laughed _

"_Uncle Alex why aren't you carrying the new born on your wings like you did with us so many years ago__" Gem said as she landed on Alex's back and started taping him on the head_

_Alex looked behind him "__Hello Gem welcome home so what treasure did you and Daisy Do find this time__" Alex asked _

_Gem suddenly looked worried "__that's why I'm here actually the relic we found is said to be able to heal souls that are damaged, but when Daisy grabbed it the whole temple collapsed with her and Daring Do still inside it__" Gem explained _

_Alex put glimmer down next to Meracle "__I have a family to save__" Alex said and put his cloak on to hide his wings "__Gem I'm going to need you to lead the way__" Alex called as he walked out the door of his room "__Stay here ladies the foals need you more than I do at the moment and I'll come back to you un injured I promise__" Alex explained and he and Gem took off _

_Phoebe went to follow them "__Don't go Phoebe, Alex has a tendency to work best when there aren't too many ponies around him as he doesn't like being the centre of attention__" Celestia said _

_Phoebe looked at Celestia "__I'm more interested in Gem of all the ponies I've seen since I arrived I've never seen anypony like her Before__" Phoebe said _

_Lauren just laughed "__Gem is extremely unique as she is part Pony part Dragon and dearly loved by Alex like she was his own__" Lauren giggled_

"_What pony would be brave enough to mate with a Dragon__" Macs gasped "__the size difference alone would have ripped a mare apart or the stallion would not have been big enough to pleasure the dragon__" Macs explained _

_Rarity stepped forward "__I was the one who mated with the dragon named Spike but he was a lot smaller when we mated so I wasn't hurt in any way but now I have Nero and we have a daughter named Ruby__" Rarity said_

_Ruby stepped forward and bowed "__sorry if I don't seem to be home much I help my mother with her work by looking for gems__" Ruby said happily "__but I'll be honest I'd love to have a younger brother or sister__" Ruby giggled as she looked at her parents_

_Nero just smiled "__stop hinting young lady__" he laughed _

_Rarity had a cheeky smile on her face "__I don't know Nero a new foal to look after does sound nice to me__" Rarity replied_

_Nero just smiled "__Oh alright then but not just yet as we have work to do__" Nero replied_

_Rarity nodded her head sadly "__I know work before pleasure maybe we can get Alex to help us as creating fabric from gems isn't easy work and Alex has a real knack for it__" Rarity explained_

_Phoebe was getting more confused by the second "__Alex can create fabric from gems__" Phoebe asked_

_Rarity nodded her head "__that's not all he can do either cause before he died he managed to create fabric from raw moonlight, sunlight, an Aurora, the virtues of Honesty Generosity, Loyalty, Laughter, Kindness and Magic, and also made armour out of Crystals and managed to weave crystal into a fabric as well come on every pony lets go and get the armour and dresses on and show them__" Rarity said happily _

_Meadow looked at Meracle "__I'll go get your dress for you dear__" Meadow said happily and flew off to the palace under the lake_

_Macs and Phoebe waited patiently Meadow returned first with Meracle's dress and helped her into it "__this is the dress of the Sea queen, Alex made this by weaving water into a fabric a very difficult task apparently__" Meracle explained_

"_According to Alex's writing all of these were very hard to make__" Lauren said as she and the others returned in their outfits that Alex had made just for them_

_Phoebe sat down "__you all look marvellous, I don't know what else to say about those out fits other than wow__" Phoebe stammered_

_Macs was wandering between them all "__these have been stitched by hand well in proper terms of this world hoof stitched and each one is masterfully done very impressive and this armour, Crystals are very hard to meld and shift once they are created what did he sacrifice to be able to do it I wonder__" Macs said as he returned to Phoebe's side _

_Phoebe wandered off to see baby Glimmer "__I love her scales and she is absolutely adorable__" Phoebe said as she looked at the new born foal_

"_Who's the father__" Celestia asked_

_Meracle blushed "__I was in heat so I grabbed one of your guards and played with him, quite mean of him I know but I was desperate__" Meracle replied_

_Celestia looked at Meadow Rose "__and who is the father of your foal__" Celestia enquired_

_Meadow poked her tongue out "__a Pegasus stallion by the name of Crelancelo__" she replied calmly_

_Lauren was thinking "__I'm just wondering but why did you suddenly change your perspective of killing Alex__" Lauren asked_

_Phoebe and Macs looked at each other "__That's actually quiet hard to explain really I'm not sure what in our minds changed but we both agreed that Alex staying alive would be a good thing__" Phoebe explained_

_Macs tapped his chin "__if I had to be a bit more accurate I'd say it was your love for him and the way you fought to defend him I guess it sunk into us that he meant a lot to all of you and we decided to let him off__" Macs explained hoping beyond all hope that it made sense_

_Novalis nodded his head "__the view of others can change the perspective of how others see the one they are targeting but also the thought of losing your loved one can really open your eyes to lots of things huh__" Novalis chuckled "__don't worry your son is by far the best warrior Equestria has ever seen though his methods are rather rash__" Novalis explained with a smile_

_Macs smiled "__Phoebe being helpless like that was a first so I panicked and every time I look at Phoebe I see Dragon's teeth still buried in her throat__" Macs said as he brushed his wing against Phoebe's neck "__we've both passed away once I don't want to lose her again__" he whimpered as the thought made him quiver in fear "__if I never see dragon again it'll be too soon__" Macs said darkly _

_Meanwhile at Alex and Gem's Location_

_Alex was racing through a forest in north western Equestria "__Uncle Alex your still not using your wings__" Gem laughed_

_Alex just skidded to a stop "__Gem my darling little girl I would use my wings if I could here look__" Alex replied and tried to open his wings "__Soul damage can be a pain in the flank__" Alex laughed_

_Gem grabbed Alex's wings and opened them "__Please excuse my fangs Uncle Alex I don't mean to cause you any pain__" Gem said as she examined Alex wings "__well for now we have to save Daring and Daisy__" she added as she collapsed Alex's wings _

_Alex and Gem raced through the forest and arrived at a set of ruins "__this place is a wreck__" Alex gasped_

"_GEM IS THAT YOU DO YOU HAVE HELP WITH YOU__" Daring Do called_

"_Hold on Daring I'll have you out in a moment__" Alex replied_

"_Prince Alexander is that you what are you doing here__" Daring Do asked_

_Alex started magically removing the rubble "__yes Daring Do, how is Daisy holding up is she alright__" Alex replied _

"_I'm not sure what we did to deserve a Prince of Equestria coming to save us but we are most thankful and three of Daisy's legs are broken and Alex the relic in this old temple wasn't the relic of Spirit healing it was the vial of the waters of eternal life and I've been soaked in it__" Daring Do explained_

_Alex finally finished removing the rubble after nearly three hours of magical digging and Alex finally pulled them out of the rubble "__Daring Do you look fantastic__" Alex said as he laid Daring Do on the ground then looked at Daisy Do "__please excuse me dear I need to examine your legs__" Alex said as he sat down and started examining Daisy's legs "__I'm sorry darling I know it hurts dear but please bear with it, Daring I apologise for this__" Alex said and kissed Daisy Do _

_Daring looked at Daisy "__lucky mare not everypony gets a kiss like that from Alex__" Daring laughed as she watched her daughter succumb to the sensation that flooded over her "__not even I have been kissed by Alex now I'm jealous__" Daring giggled_

_Gem looked at her best friend in Alex's care "__she is lucky Uncle Alex's favourite trick is to use the shock of the kiss to pacify them and examines them at the same time but it's a guaranteed after effect that any mare he kisses falls for him Daisy is now a part of Alex's little fan club__" Gem giggled _

_Alex released daisy from his kiss as he had finished examining her "__there we go Daisy and sorry about that dear and sorry about this too__" Alex said as his eyes lit up _

_Daisy's eyes went blank and she began to wobble "__oooh nice idea__" Gem laughed_

"_What's he doing to her now__" Daring Do asked_

_Gem just smiled "__he's erasing the past few minutes while he was kissing her from her memory__" Gem explained "__Uncle Alex already has Aunty Celestia and Aunty Esmeralda, all to himself so he's doing this to prevent any troubles__" Gem giggled_

_Alex released Daisy from his psychic grip "__there we go dear, woops easy now__" Alex laughed as he held Daisy Do up_

"_My head, Ow__" Daisy screamed as she tried to stand on her own and fell straight down on her face _

_Alex magiced Daisy off the ground and Daisy instantly started blushing "__hello dear if you don't mind I'll be putting you on my back while we all head home__" Alex laughed _

"_But I can't go home yet we still need to find the relic of spirit healing__" Daisy cried _

_Daring Do flew along next to Alex "__no Daisy we are going home to recover I'm not sure about you but that temple collapsing on me really ruffled my feathers__" Daring explained sternly _

_Alex just smiled happily "__tell you what I'll give the three of you a good preening as Gem needs to have some of her scales removed and a proper grooming__" Alex laughed as he walked along_

_The walk home took hours and they spoke happily about a lot of things but mostly Daring's past adventures while she was a lot younger but now that she had eternal life she will be continuing her adventures "__And I'll be there with Daisy to help her on her adventures__" Gem said happily_

_Alex was looking at Daring Do and her appearance was bothering him "__your old bones and wings will make it very hard for you to go on your Adventures let me help__" Alex said kindly _

_Daring Do was confused "__help how exactly I have eternal life now what else could I need__" Daring asked_

_Alex looked at Daring Do and smiled "__we are both immortal beings Daring Do but between us what do you notice that is different__" Alex replied _

_Daring looked at Alex then at herself "__you still look young maybe at least twenty five and I look my age__" Daring gasped and then she realised Alex's plan "__Alex I can't let you do that really, you've saved me and my daughter and that is more than we can ask for__" Daring explained_

_Alex just nodded his head "__you've taken such fantastic care of Gem who is the Daughter of the Princess of Generosity and my beloved Niece__" Alex explained and looked around at the ponies "__what do you think Everypony for taking such good care of a member of the royal family do you all think Daring Do deserves a gift__" Alex called and the ponies cheered "__now that her body has been soaked by the waters of eternal life what could I possibly give her as a gift__" Alex asked as he looked around the Ponies of Canterlot _

"_You're Prince Alexander correct, my name is Belle Clover and I'm the daughter of Lucky Clover and Wildfire__" Belle said happily_

_Alex looked at Belle "__A pleasure to meet you Belle, Lucky Clover and Wildfire were friends of mine, but do you have any ideas for me that would make a good gift for Daring Do__" Alex replied and kissed Belle Clover's forehead making her blush_

_Belle kissed Alex's nose "__you mentioned Daring Do was soaked by the waters of eternal life well for a gift why not restore her beauty an eternal being should look eternally beautiful, what do you think everypony__" Belle asked as she looked around at the crowd_

_The responding cheers from the crowd told Alex that the idea was sound "__then it's agreed, By the power invested in me by the guiding light of nature I hereby grant you eternal youth to go with your eternal life__" Alex said and touched his horn to Daring Do's forehead _

_The ponies of Canterlot watched amazed as Daring Do's appearance returned to what she looked like fifty years ago "__Wow never thought I would see the day that my mother looked exactly like she did the day I was born__" Daisy giggled _

_Daring landed back on the ground and looked herself over "__Prince Alexander I really don't know what to say__" Daring said shyly _

_Alex just smiled "__as long as you're happy that's good enough for me__" he said "__come on let's get you three to the castle my youngest foals are probably rather upset that I'm not home__" Alex laughed and cantered off to the castle_

"_I wonder how long Alex will be I'm not sure Glimmer likes it when her uncle isn't close by__" Meracle said sadly_

_Celestia picked Glimmer up and started bouncing Glimmer on her wings "__well seeing as uncle Alex isn't home aunty Celestia will look after you till he gets home__" Celestia giggled_

_Alex leaned against the door to his room and just smiled then looked at Daisy Do who couldn't seem to taker her eyes off of Rino "__like my son do you Daisy why not go talk to him then__" Alex said just loudly enough for Daisy to hear him when he noticed Gem wander over to Sun Seed and kiss his cheek then Sun Seed nuzzle Gem in return "__get out__" Alex whispered as a smile came across his face _

_Fluttershy stepped up next to Alex "__what are you looking at Alex__" she whispered and Alex pointed towards Gem and Sun Seed "__No way__" Fluttershy giggled bouncing on the spot as she saw Gem's tail entwined around Sun Seed's _

_Alex was just smiling "__I knew she would find her special somepony I just wasn't expecting it to be Sun Seed, the heart is an amazing thing__" Alex laughed quietly as he watched Celestia play with Glimmer then turned his attention to Daisy Do who was just lying on the floor with Rino talking happily "__so Daring Do how is Daisy's father__" Alex asked as he watched Rino carry Daisy into the bathroom for a bath in Alex's healing waters_

_Daring Do instantly had tears running down her face and Alex picked her up and bolted for his garden just outside the castle "__I was beaten and raped 19 years ago just before my ability to birth a foal vanished and when Daisy was born the one who attacked me came back for her that's when Gem found and saved us and has watched over us ever since__" Daring explained "__I had always wanted a foal but the way I got Daisy was not the way I wanted to have my first foal__" she cried _

_Alex picked Daring Do up and held her close to his body "__what happened to you was wrong Daring Do but you have raised your daughter perfectly and I offer you the protection of the Royal family if you will accept it__" Alex offered_

_Daring Do cried for hours while in Alex's embrace when he was found by the rest of the family who followed the sound of Daring's crying "__Alex what has Daring Do so upset__" Rainbow Dash asked clearly concerned about her hero and best friend _

_Alex looked at Daring Do "__none of you know how Daisy Do came to be do you__" Alex asked as he looked around at the royal family who were shaking their heads and noticed Gem had a look of pure murder on her face "__Daring Do was beaten and raped__" Alex said keeping the explanation short as he didn't know the full story either and Daring Do started crying even harder "__there now my dear stop those tears your safe here I promise__" Alex promised with a gentle smile_

"_I wouldn't be too sure about that Alexander Theotanasia as it was I who defiled the great Daring Do and I'm here to take my daughter back__" A voice said _

"_Coberon__" Daring Do cried as she quivered in Alex's embrace _

"_I'll be taking Daring Do back as well__" Coberon laughed_

_Alex looked at Daring Do "__no I don't think I will be giving Daring Do to you__" Alex said sternly then winked at Celestia and smiled at Daring Do "__I think I'll keep Daring Do for myself thank you__" Alex laughed and he kissed Daring Do _

"_BOYS GET ME DARING DO AND MY DAUGHTER__" Coberon roared_

_Alex just chuckled "__Rino Lukas do me a favour will you please and get rid of them while I go play with Daring Do__" Alex laughed and teleported back into his room and was quickly followed by the rest of the family where they all started laughing hysterically "__come on Daring Do let's get you into a bath and a nice dress so you can join us for Dinner, by the way Novalis, when is the next Grand Galloping Gala__" Alex asked as he wondered towards the bathroom with Daring Do_

_Novalis and the rest of the royal family followed them and they could all barely fit so some of them flew "__the next Grand Galloping Gala is about three months, why do you ask__" Novalis replied _

_Celestia's face lit up "__he plans on inviting Daring Do and Daisy to the Gala__" Celestia laughed _

_The rest of the family cheered at that idea "__I'd like to accept but I really must get to work on finding the Relic of Spirit Healing__" Daring Do said sweetly_

_Alex bopped Daring on the head "__your daughter is out of commission for at least the next 2 months surely you can take a break from your adventures besides I think I have what you're looking for I'm not really sure as I didn't know what it was so I kept it hidden, I found it several months before I died and because I thought it was dangerous I locked it away__" Alex explained as he walked up to the wall of the bathroom "__Lycuranoctem__" Alex said sternly and a hole opened up in the wall_

_Daring Do jumped out of the bath "__That's it, that's the Relic of Spirit Healing__" Daring Do said happily "__where did you find this__" she asked kindly as she jumped onto Alex's back_

_Alex looked at the weird item as it started to glow and he placed it back in its hiding place "__I honestly don't remember, you see I lost a lot of my memories after I died and when I came back to life the only thing I remembered about it was where I hid it__" Alex explained _

_Daring do looked at Alex "__I know how to use it and I can show you if you like__" Daring said happily_

_Esmeralda walked forward "__please do and use it on Alex would you dear as the part of his spirit that controls his wings is severely damaged and is currently healing very slowly__" Esmeralda explained _

"_Lycuranoctem__" Alex said as he tapped the wall and the hole appeared again "__I'd rather let my spirit heal on its own but if you all insist on it being accelerated then fine__" he snipped and walked out of the bathroom_

_Daring do walked out of the bathroom carrying the relic and placed it on the floor in front of Alex "__by the power of this relic hidden in time by our forefathers repair the soul of the one before me so that he may continue with his life in peace__" Daring Do chanted _

_Alex was engulfed in white light and he felt his wings come back to life "__Damn that's bright__" Alex whimpered as he covered his face with his wing until the light vanished and he looked around at the others and shook the dirt from his wings and lifted off into the air "__back to reading__" Alex chuckled knowing full well he was about to be pulled from the air and subjected to a preening _

_Celestia pulled Alex from the Air "__Preening time__" Celestia giggled as she placed Alex on the floor and she and Esmeralda started preening his wings_

"_Dad we managed to subdue and capture them including Doctor Coberon__" Lukas said as he and Rino dragged Coberon and his cohorts into the room _

_Novalis looked at them "__take them into the prison boys and then throw away the keys for what they did to Daring Do I don't plan on letting them back out__" Novalis said darkly then turned to Gem "__Gem head to the home of Daring and Daisy Do and retrieve all of their things__" Novalis ordered "__Alex once your preening is over I need your skills in wood crafting to prepare a room for Daring and her daughter to stay in here in the castle__" Novalis said _

_Alex nodded "__I'll get it done, Father can you head to the lumber mill in town and give this list to the Mill Master and take this along as well__" Alex said as he scribbled down a list of materials and passed it along with his bit bag to Macs then turned to Phoebe "__Mother can I ask you to go to the fabric store and grab these materials please here you'll need this as well__" Alex laughed _

_Macs and Phoebe were delighted that Alex was now trusting them completely, Lauren was looking at Alex "__that relic did a lot more than heal his spirit, it purified it__" Lauren cheered as she reared up onto her hind legs _

_Alex looked at Lauren and smiled "__I can't stay mad forever can I__" Alex laughed_

_Phoebe returned first with the materials "__here you go Alex__" she said happily_

"_Thanks mother this will help greatly, Rino how's Daisy doing__" Alex asked kindly _

_Rino looked at Daisy on his back "__she is currently sleeping right now__" Rino replied _

"_Bring her here please I'd like to preen her wings for her__" Alex said and Rino placed Daisy in front of his father "__so Rino what do you think of Daisy Do__" Alex chuckled_

_Rino went red in the face "__I personally think she is absolutely gorgeous and sweet too but I honestly don't know what she sees in me__" Rino laughed as he covered his face with his hoof_

_Daisy had woken up and was looking at Rino "__you feel just like your father Calm, Collected, Compassionate and I feel safe around you that alone is more than enough for me to like you__" Daisy giggled as she looked at Rino then turned to look at Alex who was working on her wings "__you don't mind if I start dating your son do you Alex__" she asked and then started blushing_

_Alex was poking his tongue out with one on Daisy's feathers on it "__I have no say in the matter if you want to date Rino I say go ahead but ultimately the decision is his I can't tell him to date you and I can't tell him that he isn't allowed to either__" Alex explained and he returned to preening Daisy's wings _

_Daisy looked at her mother "__I'm in the same position as Alex dear I'm not going to say anything the decision is yours to make__" Daring Do said before her daughter could even open her mouth_

_Alex finished preening Daisy's wings then looked at Rino "__Rino take Daisy back into my bath will you and let the healing properties work on her broken legs__" Alex said kindly and he levitated Daisy onto Rino's back "__ok Daring your turn__" Alex said happily_

_Daring placed herself in front of Alex "__do be gentle won't you__" she giggled_

"_I'll give you the best preening of your life__" Alex laughed and set to work_

_Daring Do went red in the face straight away, the method of preening Alex used on her was instead of biting her feathers to remove and straighten them he placed the feather in his mouth straight along his tongue and worked on them that way "__OOH lucky Daring Do she is getting the Princesses preening not every mare gets that type of preening__" Celestia giggled as she finished working on Alex's wing and the other mares finished with Alex's other wings _

_Meadow placed herself behind Alex and tried to catch Alex's tail that he was playfully swishing from side to side "__quit swishing your tail around you naughty stallion and let me plat it for you__" Meadow laughed and she finally caught Alex's tail and started platting it while Celestia platted Alex's mane _

_Macs returned with the wood "__sorry I took so long Alex I'm still not used to using my magic__" Macs said weakly_

_Alex just smiled "__that's fine, are you hurt at all__" Alex asked as he magiced the wood to one side of his room _

_Macs looked stunned that Alex would even care "__no I'm fine thank you for asking though__" Macs said slowly _

_Alex finished working on Daring Do's wings then left the room just quietly singing to himself "__if he can fly again why, is he still walking__" Phoebe asked_

_Luchia and the other Spirit guards walked into Alex's room "__why he even bothers to trust you is a mystery to us__" Rina snapped "__come along Edward the last thing you need to be doing is associating with these ponies__" she said darkly and wandered off to her room and the other Spirit guards followed suit without a word_

_Phoebe looked let down "__I understand where they are coming from but did they have to be so mean__" she cried as tears started running down her face "__I know I made my eldest son's life a living misery but now that I'm in here in Equestria I want to change that to one where he knows he can come to me or his father if he needs any help__" Phoebe explained_

_Celestia just giggled "__Alex asking for help is like asking an Alicorn to die of Natural causes__" Celestia laughed "__that husband of mine has one hay of a stubborn streak that prevents him from asking for help, only when he swallows his pride will he let any pony help him__" she said _

"_Hello is anypony home it's Sakura__" she called from the throne room _

"_We're in Alex's room Sakura come on in__" Meadow called _

_Phoebe was looking around "__where are the foals__" she asked_

_Meracle stood up "__they are currently in the nursery__" she said as she slowly walked out of the Room "__Esmeralda, Meadow, Celestia it's time to feed the young ones__" Meracle added as she walked around the lounge carrying Glimmer on her wing _

_Alex was happily preparing Daring and Daisy Do's room when Celestia and Esmeralda entered the room "__sorry to disturb you while you work Alex but could we get you to drain a little from each of us please it's time to feed the young ones__" Esmeralda giggled_

_Alex drained a little from each of the mothers and helped set them down to feed the foals then he went back to work "__you ladies are more than welcome to keep me company while I work__" Alex said happily as he worked _

_Alex worked hard, precise and fast and he had Daring and Daisy's room ready for them by the following morning when Gem returned "__Uncle Alex I'm back and sorry I took so long I still haven't quite grasped the use of Dragon Magic yet__" Gem explained as she landed in the newly prepared room "__with Daring and Daisy living in Canterlot castle things should get a lot more fun around here__" Gem giggled as she started placing Daring Do's relics around the room _

_Daring Do, walked into her room "__oh wow Prince Alexander this is lovely thank you__" She said as she patted Alex's nose _

_Alex just smiled "__please Daring Do there is no need to be so formal with me so I ask that you just call me Alex__" he laughed as he enjoyed having his nose patted "__don't stop please__" Alex stuttered as he slowly started falling asleep_

_Daring patted Alex's nose till he was fast Asleep then curled up on his back "__Prince Alex you have shown me far more kindness than anypony has ever shown me, taking care of me and my daughter I pray we don't bring you any troubles__" Daring said _

_Meanwhile in Alex's room_

_Novalis was changing the bedding of the foal's cradles while Lauren changed the bedding of the main bed "__Lauren I know we said we'd let them move back here but do you think it would be wise to actually have them stay here in the forest the foals are hidden and protected I would hate to have them put in a hostage situation that would force their parents to do something crazy__" Novalis wondered as he looked at Myst and Shadow "__our boys are in the same state of unsafety__" he said sadly_

_Lauren brushed her wing against Novalis's face "__you know Alex would never let that happen he has sensor Runes placed around all the Cities of Equestria he will defend all of us at the risk of himself it's just the stallion that he is__" Lauren explained _

_Novalis looked at his sons "__but still I worry Alex has fought so many strong opponents and each one was stronger than the last, he just barely won against his own parents I fear that his next opponent will be too much for him__" Novalis said "__he means so much to Celestia and Esmeralda I'd hate to think what would happen to them if he were to die again__" he whimpered _

_Lauren looked around the room "__it's true but Alex has never failed before and I believe he has a lot more of his potential to show us as he has probably been holding back for the benefit of Equestria__" Lauren explained "__but I'm not sure how I would handle losing Alex again either__" Lauren cried_

"_Just pray that Alex never goes into a psychic breakdown, it's a terrifying state that if a psychic being suffers too great of a shock that their mind becomes unstable their psychic powers take complete control of them and they go crazy, this happened to Alex three weeks after Alex unlocked his psychic potential it was a nightmare the war we were in was a double loss as Alex had eradicated both sides in his rage__" Phoebe explained as she and Macs walked into the room _

"_While he was in a psychic rage is mental resistance was severely crippled and we had to crush his mind in order to stop him__" Macs said as he started refolding all of Alex's outfits_

_Esmeralda was at Alex's door shaking her head "__you're thinking of locking him away again aren't you__" she cried_

_Novalis looked at Esmeralda stunned "__Esmeralda honey please try to understand__" Novalis tried to say_

"_I WON'T LET YOU DO IT TO HIM AGAIN__" Esmeralda screamed and dashed off to Alex's location "__Get off him__" Esmeralda snapped at Daring Do and magiced Alex into her dimensional pocket then raced into the other room and did the same to Celestia and the foals "__they won't seal him away again__" Esmeralda cried and flew away heading west _

_Novalis and Lauren arrived in Daring Do's room "__I'm sorry you just missed her she took Alex, Celestia and the foals and flew out the window and I'm sorry I didn't see which way she went__" Daring Do said and bowed her head_

"_Raise your head Daring Do you have done nothing wrong it was our fault for not making sure our conversation wasn't heard__" Novalis explained "__why can't Esmeralda understand that we don't want to seal Alex we just want to hide him and his foals we don't plan on sealing him away at all__" Novalis said sadly_

_Lauren started crying "__I don't want our family to fall apart I lost nearly all of you once and I don't want it to happen again, Nova you must come up with something please__" Lauren cried _

_Novalis started thinking fast "__let me think here Canterlot Castle is far too big and obvious we need to hide it__" Novalis said _

_Everything in the room disappeared "__allow me__" Alex said as he landed in the now empty room "__please search the castle and make sure I haven't missed anything__" Alex ordered and everypony scattered_

_They returned to Alex's location "__you got everything Alex now what do you plan on doing__" Lauren asked as she hugged Alex_

_Alex just smiled gently "__just make your way into town mother and take this with you please__" Alex said and passed Lauren a set of Blue Prints "__now everypony out you go and I'll see you all soon I promise__" Alex chuckled _

"_ALEX WHERE ARE YOU DARLING PLEASE COME OUT__" Esmeralda screamed and noticed her parents in the city square "__Mother, Father have you seen Alex I let him out of my Dimensional Pocket and he vanished, what is with these tremors__" Esmeralda asked _

_Alex was in the castle pouring his magic out like a geyser his roars told them he was still drawing his magic out "__How much more magic does he have__" Lauren gasped _

_Canterlot Castle crumbled under Alex's magical pressure "__ALEX NO__" Esmeralda screamed _

"_Don't panic my dear I may be extreme but I'm not slow__" Alex chuckled as he walked out from behind a nearby tree "__Nature is my ally remember, Gaia is a darling and won't let anything like a falling building take me out__" Alex said calmly_

_Esmeralda was crying in relief and jumped on to Alex's back "__I'm not sure what I would do if we lost you Alex you naughty stallion so please don't do something like that again__" She cried _

_Alex levitated Esmeralda off his back and placed her on his wings in front of him "__I can't make that promise my dear but I promise not to make a habit of it__" Alex said kindly and he kissed Esmeralda to ease her worries _

_Esmeralda's crying turned to laughing "__well now that you have destroyed Canterlot Castle what are going to do about a home now__" she giggled as she fixed her position on Alex's wings "__and don't you dare put me down for a while__" she said sternly_

_Novalis had taken the Blue Prints from Lauren and was examining them "__this a unique design__" Novalis said as he looked at the design curiously_

_Alex approached Novalis and Lauren with Celestia on his back, Esmeralda on his wings "__it's a one off design with luck it should help confuse anypony trying to attack Canterlot and looking for the royal family it has a massive safe house in the basement that can keep everypony in Canterlot safe with a storehouse next to it capable of holding up to six months' worth of supplies, I'm working on secret passage ways designs that will spread all over Equestria so we can evacuate the citizens to the other towns or evacuate the other towns here to Canterlot__" Alex explained then rubbed his nose against Esmeralda's belly_

"_Stop it silly boy that tickles__" Esmeralda giggled and then grabbed Alex's head with her hooves "__I got you now__" she laughed _

_Alex decided to have fun with Esmeralda cause the way she had him positioned he was in rage of her teats so Alex latched on and started drinking while gently tugging on her teats at the same time "__that's not fair__" Esmeralda stammered as she let Alex's head go and he stopped drinking instantly "__you owe me an apology later__" she giggled _

_Alex smiled "__just don't expect me to impregnate you again these four young ones will be more than enough for a few years__" Alex laughed_

"_Meanie__" Esmeralda whimpered but she smiled all the same_

_Alex looked at Celestia who he loved so dearly "__after Esmeralda I'll play with you__" Alex chuckled then turned his attention to Novalis and Lauren "__can I leave things here to you two we'll be in the forest if you need us__" Alex explained_

_Novalis nodded his head "__before you go can I ask you to take Myst and Shadow with you please oh and Lauren too please I want her away from the castle during construction__" Novalis said and with a flick of his wings he cleared the rubble_

_Alex nodded his head and he left with the mares and foals heading for the forest "__now that they are out of here, let's see how fast I can build this__" Novalis said as an evil smile crossed his face "__LET'S GET TO IT__" he laughed and in an explosion of magic the land work was done and the Skeleton of the new castle was already up in the blink of an eye "__Castle build-up, Castle build-up__" he sang as he started magicing the walls into place_

_Months went by and Novalis only stopped by the house in the forest during the night to rest and was gone at the crack of dawn, Celestia, Esmeralda, Meadow Rose, and Meracle reopened the Candy store in Ponyville and were having a huge success while Alex ran the Cutie Mark Scouts camp while watching over the foals at the same time "__excuse me Alex umm sir I was just wondering how did you get your Cutie mark__" a young filly _

_Alex looked around at the young foals in his care "__I'll be honest with you I'm not sure__" Alex replied as he looked at his cross wings Cutie Mark "__I wish I knew my story so I could tell it to you__" Alex said sadly_

"_I know how you got your Cutie Mark, Alex would you like me to tell your story to them__" Lauren giggled as she walked onto the compound_

"_Please do__" Alex replied and sat himself with the young fillies and colts to hear his own story_

_Lauren smiled "__It was a quiet day and Alex was with Celestia, this was shortly after he gained his Alicorn form he was overseeing the guard duty of the royals that were in Canterlot when they were attacked by a pair of changelings__" Lauren said and the foals gasped in shock "__neither of them from Queen Arachnae or Queen Chrysalis's swarms, Alex defended Celestia and the other royals he beat the changelings in a way that shocked even himself he used his beautiful wings to smack them into the floor but instead his wings glided through them and the changelings fell to the floor dead, it was at that moment that Alex's Cutie Mark appeared but the shock of him taking the lives of those changelings caused him to flee the castle in terror__" Lauren explained as she brought Alex's Cutie Mark story to a close_

_Alex looked at his flank "__so that's how I got it__" Alex laughed _

_The young Fillies and Colts looked at Alex stunned "__you killed the poor changelings mister Alex why__" a young Filly asked_

_Alex felt very awkward "__I honestly didn't mean to and I was more freaked than anypony else I hid myself away for a month very afraid to be near the other ponies let alone my darling Celestia on top of that I was afraid to fly too__" Alex explained then he smiled "__but now my wings are safe for even you little ones to play with, cause now that I'm conscious of my wings abilities I only cut what I want to cut__" Alex said happily _

_Alex stood up and wandered off into the main building and laid the foals down to rest and returned to the young fillies and colts "__excuse me Mister Alex what is on today's list of things to do__" a young Colt asked _

_Alex just smiled "__well Star Searcher today's list is something even I wasn't expecting__" Alex chuckled and magiced over everything he needed for the first activity when a young filly started crying "__Drizzle darling what seems to be the matter__" Alex asked as he picked Drizzle up _

_Drizzle was crying uncontrollable "__mommy and daddy are breaking up and they can't decide who I'm going to be staying with, Mommy is moving to Maretropolis and Daddy is going to Manehattan but I don't want to leave Ponyville__" Drizzle cried_

_The other fillies and colts surrounded Alex and Drizzle "__Mister Alex isn't there something you can do to make her happy again__" Star Searcher asked kindly_

_Alex opened his wings "__watch this little ones__" Alex chuckled and his wings started to glow then he started singing_

_Everypony watched in amazement including Lauren, everypony in Ponyville even stopped what they were doing to listen to the song coming from the scout's camp "__incredible singing as always Alex__" Millie said from behind her desk _

_Celestia opened the door to the shop "__I've never heard this song before, how many songs does he have hidden in that head of his__" Celestia wondered _

_Phoebe was in the shop "__Alex has over fifteen thousand songs in his head and nearly thirty different prayers__" Phoebe giggled _

_Macs was there as well "__don't forget eighteen different combat styles fifty personal techniques 32 personal psychic techniques, twenty five personal songs and his personal mantra that reduces all who hear it to tears__" Macs explained with a laugh_

_Celestia, Esmeralda, Meadow Rose and Meracle were stunned "__all that is in his head__" Meracle gasped_

_Phoebe and Meracle looked at each other "__there is one other thing in his head that he should never use__" Phoebe said and the terror in her voice made Celestia and the others very frightened_

"_Alex's personal fighting style: Heavens Fury, it's the combined styles of all eighteen combat styles that Alex knows it's power was beyond Human and I pray he never unleashes it here in Equestria__" Macs said as he quivered in fear_

"_Surely it can't be that scary__" Esmeralda asked _

_Phoebe fainted and Macs looked at Esmeralda in shock "__Can't be that scary are you out of your beautiful mind that style is the scariest thing I've ever seen I'm just glad he didn't use it on me and Phoebe when we fought him__" Macs said "__that style is far too scary, when he first used it Phoebe and I had to hide ourselves amongst the dead just too survive__" Macs explained_

_Phoebe recovered "__the way he was back then he would have killed us as well but the way he is now I'm not sure__" Phoebe said_

_Meadow Rose stepped forward "__what made him unleash it anyway__" she asked_

_Phoebe looked around "__a government learned of the location of our home and ordered their military to wipe us out Nero and Viola were only 3 and completely unable to defend themselves so Alex went wild to defend them, he was a heartless killer but he understood the value of life and as his brother and sister were far too young so that's why he fought__" Phoebe said _

"_We witnessed Heaven's fury for the first time that day and we never want to see it again__" Macs said sternly_

"_Anyway enough of the sad talk we kind of have business to run__" Celestia said as she unlocked the door again _

_Meanwhile back at the scout's camp_

_The scouts were looking at Alex amazed and Drizzle was laughing again "__Prince Alex that song was beautiful but we must be taking Drizzle now__" Drizzle's mother said_

_Drizzle jumped into Alex's tail and hid herself "__please Rain Chaser won't you consider staying here in Ponyville so Drizzle doesn't have to leave her friends__" Alex asked kindly_

_Rain Chaser looked at Alex's tail "__I'm truly sorry Prince Alex but I cannot we have already arranged to move today and I can't call it off now__" Rain Chaser explained_

"_I'm not going I want to stay here AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO__" Drizzle screamed as she poked her head out from Alex's long tail_

"_Drizzle__" Alex said sadly then he looked over at Rain Chaser who was crying "__oh you poor darling you don't really want to do this do you__" Alex asked_

"_My baby was happy here and he just had to cheat on me and now I'm forced to leave the town of my own birth and cause my baby so much distress__" Rain Chaser cried as tears rolled down her face_

_Alex levitated Rain Chaser over to him and placed her on his wing "__Hush now my dear it will be alright__" Alex said kindly and he rubbed his nose on Rain Chaser's belly_

_Rain Chaser started laughing "__Stop it silly that tickles__" she giggled_

_Alex just smiled "__there's that smile that suits you a lot better__" Alex laughed_

_The ponies that were to help Rain Chaser move had arrived at the Scout's camp "__what do you think guys should we leave this job and head home__" the lead pony said and his colleagues agreed with smiles on their faces when a bag of bits landed at their hooves _

"_A little something for your troubles guys__" Alex said with a smile and the moving ponies nodded and departed _

_Drizzle was crying again and it started raining the harder she cried the harder it rained "__why does it always rain when she cries__" Rain Chaser complained_

_Alex just started laughing "__Be easy on her my dear besides look at this__" Alex said as he magically removed Drizzle from his tail "__hmm she's suppressing it__" Alex chuckled and gently kissed Drizzle's left flank and she squeaked in fright and her Cutie Mark appeared "__there it is__" Alex laughed as he put Drizzle down and nudged her rump with his nose to encourage her to join her friends_

"_Alex the materials are ready to be used but it will need to be dried__" Lauren explained as she levitated the materials into the air "__come here little ones let Alex show you something no other ponies but members of the Theotanasia family can do__" Lauren giggled_

_The fillies and colts did as they were told, Alex took a deep breath then exhaled a jet stream of fire just hot enough to dry the materials off "__Wow a pony that can breathe fire just like a dragon__" a filly cheered as she watched smoke pour out of Alex's mouth "__Mister Alex you look so funny__" she giggled_

_Alex breathed the last of the smoke out of his nose and then smiled "__ok now that little Drizzle is happy and has her Cutie Mark, she doesn't have to leave the scouts either, but for now we'll start with basic campfires__" Alex announced and showed them how it was done and then let them get to it_

_Celestia, Esmeralda, Meadow Rose and Meracle had finished work for the day with full stock sales "__I guess we'll be closed for a few days while we put together more stock__" Celestia laughed and Alex dashed past in a panic towards the hospital carrying three young Unicorn fillies "__oh no__" Celestia gasped and she and the others followed Alex _

_Alex skidded to a stop in the foyer of the hospital and ended up falling over himself, he shielded the fillies from the fall with his wings and quickly got up "__I need some help here quickly please these little ones have been burned quite badly__" Alex called _

_Red Heart's granddaughter raced out of her office "__bring them this way quickly Alex__" she ordered and dashed into an operating room and started gathering the burn treatments "__tell me how that got burned__" she asked_

_Alex placed the foals down on the operating beds "__easy now my little ponies we'll have you healed shortly__" Alex said then turned to Nurse Daffodil Rose "__their burns were an accident during Campfire creating practice and for some reason the dried materials I gave them exploded into flames, it's just my theory but I think they each used far too much magic to ignite the wood__" Alex explained_

_Daffodil Rose was busy looking around "__gosh darn it all of our rooms burn healing treatments are empty__" Daffodil cried as she threw an empty jar across the room shattering it against the wall_

"_Daffodil please stay calm your scarring the fillies__" Alex called and looked at the fillies "__I guess I have no choice then I used to use this on myself whenever I suffered severe level burns, I apologise little ones this is going to be disgusting and painful__" Alex explained as a gel started seeping from his mouth _

_Daffodil Rose grabbed another empty jar and caught the gel in it "__most interesting Alex just how does this gel work__" she asked_

_Alex stepped away from the fillies and Daffodil then burned his own front left leg '__Mister Alex what are you doing__" a young filly asked_

_Alex just smiled "__just a little demonstration__" Alex replied and spat the gel like substance onto his burn "__this gel reacts to the burn and the body cells to heal the burn and doesn't leave any scars either__" Alex laughed _

_Daffodil Rose and the Fillies watched as Alex's burn healed quickly "__I'll apply this gel to them quickly then__" Daffodil said and started applying the Gel to the fillies burns _

_Alex just started laughing "__I feel like a NidHoush__" Alex laughed as he wiped more gel from his mouth_

_Daffodil Rose finished applying the gel to the fillies "__What's a NidHoush__" Daffodil asked_

"_A NidHoush or Slime Dragon is a unique dragon of my old world and very hard to find the NidHoush I found was female and she was an absolute sweetie, she even taught me how to use her burn healing gel__" Alex laughed and the gel stopped flowing from his mouth_

_There were several jars near where Alex was standing that were now full of the gel that was seeping from Alex's mouth "__I hope this will be enough to last the hospital a while__" Alex said as he looked at the fillies "__how are you little ones feeling__" Alex asked sweetly_

_The three fillies bounced off the bed "__we feel great thank you mister Alex but can we go back to camp now__" they cheered _

_Alex placed the fillies on his back "__I'll walk you there myself shall I__" Alex chuckled and walked to the door "__Daffodil Rose thank you very much for your help and when the gel gets low let me know and I'll restore the supplies for you__" Alex said kindly _

_Daffodil Rose walked up to Alex "__lower your head please Alex__" she said sweetly and Alex did as he was told, Daffodil Rose kissed Alex's cheek "__thank you for the new burn healing gel and that kiss on the cheek was something my grandmother wanted to give you before she died it's too bad she was magically murdered__" Daffodil Rose explained _

_Alex just smiled and kissed Daffodil's cheek "__thank you my dear now I must get these young ones back to camp and thank you for reminding me about NidHoush's gel__" Alex said and left back for the camp_

"_Mister Alex you still have some gel on your mouth__" Daisy Blossom giggled_

_Celestia walked up to Alex and licked the gel from his mouth "__there we go nice and clean and it doesn't taste half bad either__" Celestia giggled_

_Alex just smiled "__NidHoush taught me how to make it taste like Vanilla just in case it got ingested it would taste alright and it is friendly to the body as it can be used to heal throat burns too__" Alex laughed as he walked with Celestia, Esmeralda, Meadow, Meracle and the fillies on his back_

_They arrived back at the Cutie Mark Scouts Camp and Lauren was happily helping the Fillies and Colts with Getting their Cutie Marks, being a goddess she knew how to get each of them their Cutie Marks instantly but it wouldn't be very fun if she just told them "__Ah Alex welcome back how are the fillies doing are they going to be alright__" Lauren asked_

_Daisy Blossom, Minnow Belle and Moonlight Dream hopped off Alex's back and placed themselves between his front legs "__they are just fine and there isn't a single scar on them so they can come straight back__" Alex explained happily_

_Lauren looked at Alex confused "__how did you manage to heal them so quickly__" she gasped as she looked at the three fillies "__what did you use on them their coats are rather slimy where their burns were__" she said as she looked at them closely_

_Alex blushed "__it was something I learned from a very special dragon I met on my travels of my old world it was called a NidHoush and despite their slime they are remarkably beautiful beings the one I met was a female and she was a sweetheart who taught me how to use her Burn Healing Gel__" Alex explained and spat a large quantity of the gel against a tree_

_Lauren examined the gel impressed "__these NidHoush's are amazing beings__" Lauren said _

_Alex suddenly remembered something "__oh no__" he gasped and raced for his home in town "__Please let her egg be alright__" Alex cried as he arrived at the family home in Ponyville and he opened a zone only he could enter_

_Upon entering Alex could hear crying "__why has no one found me and why can't I leave this place__" a voice cried "__there is no food left and I'm hungry__" she cried again_

"_NidHoush are you here__" Alex called as he checked his Alchemy lab for the dragon_

_The NidHoush looked at Alex "__I know you from my mother's memories, you're Alexander my mother gave you my egg as a friendly gesture__" she giggled "__so basically you are my daddy__" she said _

_Alex looked at NidHoush "__how long ago did you hatch sweetie__" Alex asked as he picked her up with his wings _

_NidHoush looked at Alex "__I hatched about four months ago__" she said sadly_

_Alex felt like a villain "__I'm so sorry I didn't come and get you sooner my dear but I'm here now so let me get you out of my lab__" Alex said and he walked out of his Alchemy lab with NidHoush and headed back towards the scouts camp_

"_Alex I remember you looking like a Human so why do you looked like a winged Unicorn__" NidHoush asked as Alex bounced her on his wings _

_Alex had a little friend he could look after and he liked it "__well NidHoush welcome to the Cutie Mark Scouts__" Alex chuckled _

_All the fillies and colts looked at the baby dragon on Alex's wings "__Mister Alex what are you holding in your wings__" Daisy Blossom asked as she looked at NidHoush_

_Alex just placed NidHoush on the ground "__this is a NidHoush aren't they just adorable the NidHoush I met on my travels of my old world gave me this little one as an egg and I had completely forgotten I had her until just today__" Alex explained as he looked at NidHoush "__what would you like to eat NidHoush you must be starving__" Alex asked_

_NidHoush looked at Alex "__I'm a slim dragon so anything slimy would be perfect__" NidHoush said _

_Alex looked at NidHoush "__hmm I wonder if I can do it just like your mother showed me__" Alex said and raised his hoof off the floor and started concentrating _

_The others gasped in shock as the gel started dripping from Alex's leg and NidHoush started feeding on it "__look at her feed she's loving it__" Lauren said as she watched NidHoush feed on the gel leaking from Alex's hoof _

_Alex fell to the floor tired "__that's not as easy as it looks__" he stuttered as he tried to pick himself up and fell over again "__that was more taxing than I thought__" he whimpered then passed out_

"_Oh no I should have told him it would have been better to let it seep out of his mouth as channelling it to other parts of the body is very taxing on anything other than a NidHoush and my name is Terrastraza__" she said as she patted Alex's nose_

_The fillies and colts in the camp grounds looked at Alex "__well my little ponies what say we call it a day and all head home__" Lauren said and she magiced Alex off the ground and placed him on Celestia's back "__Celestia grab NidHoush please and bring her home while I take the little ones home__" Lauren ordered as she left the campus with the foals_

_Celestia was walking home when Alex started coming too again "__stay still Alex at least till I get you home and back into bed__" Celestia laughed_

"_But what about the little ones they are still at the camp__" Alex said weakly_

_Celestia looked behind her and noticed Twilight and the other princesses of harmony each carrying one of the foals "__you don't have to worry about them Alex, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack have them look they are approaching now__" Celestia said happily as she continued to walk along "__how are you feeling Terrastraza nice and full now__" Celestia asked_

_Terrastraza the NidHoush looked at Celestia then at Alex "__yes I am actually but I feel bad that Alex has been so badly exhausted, while not biologically he is my father so while I am glad he fed me that fact that he tired himself doing it worries me, I hope next time he lets the gel just seep from his mouth it won't be so hard on him that way__" Terrastraza explained_

_Celestia just smiled "__your kind really are sweet__" Celestia giggled _

_Terrastraza blushed "__it's only the female NidHoush that are sweet the males tend to be hot headed and messy not to mention their tendency to go into a sexual frenzy at the drop of a hat, and before you ask how I know all this it's simple a NidHoush mother's memories are implanted into her eggs the moment they are laid so we are born fully aware of everything but me being born in Alex's Alchemy lab with no one around for four months scared me a lot then Alex finally remembered I was there and came to get me__" Terrastraza explained "__hmmm being called Terrastraza is too much of a pain and as I'm the only NidHoush here in this world just call me NidHoush__" she giggled _

_Alex was fast asleep as Celestia arrived at the forest and NidHoush hopped off Celestia's wing "__this might be trouble the barrier around the forest will prevent you from entering the house NidHoush what do we do, oh if only Alex was awake he would know what to do__" Celestia cried as she looked at Alex fast asleep on her back_

_NidHoush was looking from Celestia too Alex "__those ear rings you're both wearing what are they for__" NidHoush asked sweetly_

_Celestia looked at Alex's ear "__they are basically the ticket into the house without it you will never be able to reach the house__" Celestia explained with a smile_

_NidHoush looked at her own ear "__it's not uncommon for a female NidHoush to wear jewellery so if you want to you can attach one of them to me__" NidHoush explained happily_

_Celestia tried to fit NidHoush with an Ear Piece "__this isn't easy without the half Anthro spell__" Celestia laughed_

_NidHoush made her way to Alex "__sorry Alex this is probably going to taste bad__" NidHoush said as she placed her ear in Alex's mouth against his canine tooth then jumped and kicked Alex's mouth shut causing his tooth to puncture her ear "__OW__" she cried as she held her ear "__mother's memories told me that would hurt but I didn't expect it to hurt that much__" NidHoush whimpered_

_Celestia picked NidHoush up and placed her bleeding ear in her mouth until the bleeding stopped "__you silly little NidHoush if we had waited for Alex to wake up he could have done it more gently__" Celestia giggled _

_NidHoush looked at Celestia "__the slime on my body must taste horrible__" she cried _

_Celestia just licked NidHoush's ear "__I don't know my dear I've tasted a lot of things that are way worse, in comparison you are quite tasty__" Celestia giggled_

_NidHoush just blushed "__no one has ever said that about my kind before so thank you for the compliment__" NidHoush said happily and she licked Celestia's nose _

_Celestia gently fit one of the ear pieces to NidHoush's ear "__I'll have Alex heal that for you when he wakes up as he seems to know more about dragons than anypony ever__" Celestia explained as she walked through the forest towards the house "__welcome home NidHoush__" Celestia giggled _

_NidHoush looked around her new home "__this place is lovely__" NidHoush said happily while Celestia placed Alex on his bed to sleep _

"_Here you go little ones nap time with Daddy__" Fluttershy giggled as she and the other princesses laid the foals around Alex so they could all sleep _

_NidHoush placed herself next to Alex "__Silly pony you never answered my question__" NidHoush giggled as she patted Alex's head_

_Celestia sat next to NidHoush "__what was your Question NidHoush I'll try and answer it for you__" Celestia said sweetly_

"_I said that, because of my mother's memories I remember him being Human and I asked him why he now looked like a winged Unicorn__" NidHoush explained as she continued to pat Alex's head which now had a nice shine to it _

_Celestia looked at Alex and blushed "__it was because of me that he looks the way he does now, he fought against a Draconiquis named Discord who had cursed me, the fight wasn't very long but before the fight Alex removed the curse Discord had placed on me then took his own left arm off to destroy the curse, then he removed Discord's Snaggle to prevent me from being cursed again, shortly after the fight I found Alex on the floor of his room dying while his body glowed a brilliant white light and three weeks later he woke up in the form you see now mind you he's changed a few times since he took on his Alicorn form__" Celestia explained and she kissed Alex_

_NidHoush looked at Celestia "__my mother's memories say Alex had no love for anything or anyone so miss Celestia what are you to Alex__" NidHoush asked curiously_

_Celestia went red in the face from her nose to her ear tips "__I'm Alex's wife actually mind you I'm not his only lover he has my sister as well__" Celestia said as she looked away_

_NidHoush looked at Alex "__Naughty boy I hope he is able to keep you both happy__" NidHoush giggled_

_Celestia nodded her head "__these four little ones are a perfect indication of how happy he keeps us__" Celestia said as she gently picked up Sarah and Rhianna "__these two are mine their names are Sarah and Rhianna, these two are my older sister's their names are Clover and Bryce__" Celestia explained and she nuzzled each foal as she introduced them "__and before you begin wondering Alex is the father to all four of them__" Celestia giggled_

"_And the father to us too__" Lukas said as he, Rino and their sisters walked into the room and they all laid down and Esmeralda joined them_

_NidHoush looked around at them all "__what a big family__" NidHoush giggled_

_Alex had woken up "__you're a part of this family too NidHoush so welcome home my dear__" Alex said happily "__now let me heal that wound__" Alex chuckled and started healing NidHoush's ear for her_

_NidHoush wriggled her right ear "__thank you Alex that feels a lot better__" NidHoush said and turned to look at Alex only to see that he had fallen back asleep_

_Celestia put the foals between her hind legs to feed and Esmeralda, Meadow and Meracle did the same thing "__come on big sisters let's go prepare dinner and what are Uncle Nero and the other Paladins doing anyway__" Rino asked as he headed to the kitchen with his brother and sisters_

"_Uncle Nero and the others are helping Grandfather Build the new Castle that father designed don't worry little brother we aren't missing out on anything__" Melody laughed as they all entered the kitchen "__today has been very eventful__" she said as she started grabbing the ingredients for dinner_

"_Dad remembered he had a NidHoush egg somewhere and now we have a dragon as a part of the family I wonder how big she will get__" Noelle said_

_NidHoush appeared in the door "__if you're worried about my size you don't need to worry I'll get to be about three times this size and stop growing, we female NidHoush never get to be very big but the males of our species are twice the size as us females__" NidHoush explained_

_NidHoush was no bigger than three feet tall at only four months "__NidHoush if I may ask at what age do, you stop growing__" Hanon asked as she picked NidHoush up on her wings "__the gel on your body feels nice on my feathers NidHoush I could keep you on my wings all day__" Hanon giggled_

_Celestia, Esmeralda, Meadow Rose and Meracle entered the dining room just as Jaide and her brothers and sisters finished preparing dinner "__you young ones have fantastic timing and this looks delicious__" Esmeralda said as she looked at Clover and Bryce "__how's momma's little colts doing__" she giggled and Bryce and Clover started laughing _

_Meadow and Meracle were rather uncomfortable "__I wish Alex was awake so he could drain the last of the milk from us__" Meracle said sadly_

"_I'm going to go wake him so we can have dinner as eating something right now would be better for him__" Meadow said and she headed back to the room and Meracle decided to follow her_

_Alex was just coming around when Meadow and Meracle walked into his room "__hello ladies what time is it__" Alex asked as he looked at them while still half asleep_

_Meadow Rose placed herself in front of Alex with her hind quarters closer to his head "__it's time for dinner but first could you do me a favour please Alex Willow Mist has finished feeding and I still have some milk left and Meracle is the same after Glimmer's feeding__" Meadow explained_

_Alex started drinking right away, after helping the mothers Alex got slowly to his hooves licking his lips "__shall we?__" Alex asked gently as he led the mothers back to the dining room_

_NidHoush was happily watching the others eat their food "__now I'm hungry__" she giggled and she saw Alex walk in "__father good evening did you sleep well__" NidHoush asked sweetly_

_Alex looked at NidHoush and smiled "__I did sleep very well thank you NidHoush now are you ready for your feed__" Alex replied as he picked NidHoush up on his wing "__I'll take this into a different room shall I__" Alex laughed then yawned_

_NidHoush gave Alex a toothy grin "__that would be a good idea as feeding a NidHoush isn't something you want to do in front of others that are eating__" NidHoush explained and Alex walked out of the room "__Alex if I may be so bold as to ask to prevent yourself from passing out again can you let the gel just seep from your mouth please it will be less taxing on you that way__" NidHoush said kindly and she patted Alex's nose_

_Alex looked at NidHoush and tears started pouring down his face "__Sorry NidHoush I know it's a bad time to start crying but I promised your mother that I would be there for you when you hatched but I wasn't I'm so sorry__" Alex cried and he placed his head against NidHoush's body_

_NidHoush started crying as well and she hugged Alex's head "__it's alright Alex while I was scared and alone you came to get me and have even taken me into your family I'm sure my mother will forgive you for this small blunder__" NidHoush whimpered _

_Alex just smiled "__let's get you fed shall we__" Alex chuckled and the Burn gel started seeping from his mouth again and NidHoush started feeding on it _

_NidHoush stopped feeding after nearly ten minutes and licked her lips "__that was quite tasty thank you__" she giggled_

_Alex just smiled "__my silly little NidHoush you have some of the gel on your nose here let me get that for you__" Alex laughed and licked the gel from NidHoush's nose "__there we go my darling baby dragon nice and clean__" Alex chuckled and he picked NidHoush up on his wing and returned to the dining room_

_Celestia looked at Alex and NidHoush "__how did it go Alex did she feed alright__" Celestia asked_

_Alex nodded his head "__she fed wonderfully she ate every bit of the gel I gave her__" Alex explained and nuzzled NidHoush_

"_Oh please father you're embarrassing me__" NidHoush giggled though she clearly enjoyed the affection she was getting _

_Celestia and the others took NidHoush to the bath while Alex ate his food "__so NidHoush are your kind able to take baths__" Jaide asked_

_NidHoush hopped into the bath "__the slime on my body dilutes instantly in water so bathing for me is no problem mind you when the slime on my body dilutes into the water its works as a type of coat softener, my mother bathed Alex when they met as he was in very bad shape and the slime from her body not only eased his pain but gave his hair a beautiful clean shine__" NidHoush explained_

_Rarity jumped into the bath without even a second thought and began washing herself "__this actually feels really nice it's gentle on the coat, mane and tail and doesn't aggravate the skin underneath the coat__" Rarity said happily_

"_I'm glad you like it but the diluted slime from my body dissipates after about ten minutes__" NidHoush laughed "__sadly though as I am so young baths for me aren't really advised as replenishing the protective slime on my body takes a while__" NidHoush explained_

"_That's because an infant NidHoush's slime glands aren't fully developed until they are nearly four years old, as such when a female NidHoush bathes her young she will then cover them in the same type of gel that she feeds them to keep them safe__" Nero explained as he and the other paladins and Novalis returned for the night_

"_Nero darling your home__" Rarity sang as she jumped out of the bath_

_NidHoush had fled to Alex's side "__where did the NidHoush go__" Viola asked as she landed nearby_

_Celestia walked into the dining room and picked NidHoush up "__its ok my darling little dragon they are family you can trust them__" Celestia said as she walked back out "__Alex can I ask you to help NidHoush restore her slime cover later please__" Celestia asked_

"_It would be my pleasure__" Alex replied from the dining room_

_Viola looked at NidHoush carefully "__I've never seen a NidHoush before isn't she adorable__" Viola giggled _

"_Viola what have I told you about getting to close to dragons__" Phoebe said darkly as she walked towards NidHoush with murderous intent _

_A scaly wing came out of the dining room "__you touch NidHoush and I'll see to it that you don't take another breath__" Dragon snapped as he walked out of the dining hall_

_Phoebe fainted in shock and Macs nearly jumped out of his coat "__What's dragon doing here__" Macs gasped _

_Dragon turned back into Alex "__if you don't like NidHoush being here then I'll ask you to leave, honestly you never read my reports on NidHoushs did you__" Alex snapped as he took NidHoush from Celestia "__there now my dear they won't hurt you I promise__" Alex said sweetly as he tried to calm NidHoush back down_

_NidHoush was too scared to calm down "__they want to kill me__" she cried and jumped onto Alex's back and hid herself in his long mane_

_Alex turned on his Parents "__what made you decide this sweet little one needs to be killed hmm she's only a baby__" Alex roared at them "__you know what I don't even want to know now get out and don't let me see you for a while__" Alex ordered and returned to his room with NidHoush _

_The others watched completely stunned "__sorry that was a trained response I have to any dragon that I see__" Phoebe cried as she watched her eldest son slam his bedroom shut "__what have I done__" she whimpered as tears started falling down her face _

_Nero walked up to his mother "__you might want to read this, this is Alex's report on Male and Female NidHoush maybe with this you'll understand why Alex is so defensive of her__" Nero said darkly and wandered off _

"_Honestly talk about jumping to Conclusions__" Viola said sharply and wandered off as well_

_Celestia walked up to Phoebe and Macs "__it's quite alright I know your past life taught you that dragons can be quite dangerous but we have some dragons that are friends of ours and are very kind at the same time so please don't be so hostile to them now if you will excuse me I must try and Calm Alex down before he does something silly__" Celestia said kindly and wandered off to Alex's room_

_Esmeralda looked at Phoebe "__please understand that Alex is highly defensive of anything very young be it his own foals or not so your ill intent towards little NidHoush who is only four months old triggered Alex's father instinct to defend his young and as he is treating NidHoush as a daughter it really went into full swing__" Esmeralda explained "__come long Mare and Gentle colts I'll get your food ready you must be hungry__" she laughed and headed into the kitchen_

_Rarity was examining her coat, mane and tail "__NidHoush's slime in the bath really does work my coat mane and tail feel absolutely fantastic__" Rarity giggled _

_Twilight and the others enjoyed their bath then waited for their husbands to finish dinner before heading for home themselves to their young ones "__Rarity I've just been wondering even though you and Nero mated close to a year ago now you aren't pregnant why__" Fluttershy asked sweetly as she washed her mane _

"_Now that you mention it Fluttershy you're right, Rarity what happened__" Rainbow dash asked_

_Rarity just smiled "__nothing happened I just wasn't in heat is all so I didn't get pregnant because of that, the playtime was fun though__" Rarity giggled_

_Fluttershy and the others sighed in relief "__Ya honestly shouldn't worry us like that Sugarcube__" Applejack said hugging Rarity with her wing_

_Fluttershy suddenly started looking around "__where is my little Sun Seed at the moment I know I brought him here with me__" Fluttershy wondered as she looked around_

"_And my little Gem isn't here either__" Rarity said as she looked around as well _

_Ruby started laughing along with Phoenix Rose "__you two really are silly those two sneak away together every chance they get__" Ruby giggled _

"_Indeed they've been trying to keep their relationship hidden but you can't hide things like that from me and Ruby__" Phoenix Rose laughed and she high winged Ruby _

"_Gem is due to have her first foal in six months__" Alex said as he walked past with his nose in a book and took to the sky and just hovered there without another word_

_Rarity went into shock "__my baby is pregnant, oh my I have so many things to prepare, WAIT A MINUTE, how do you know Alex__" Rarity asked_

_Alex flipped himself upside down "__I know cause I came here 3 months ago and I caught them mating in that very bath and the pheromones in the air told me Gem was in heat and Sun Seed was ready willing and able__" Alex replied then went back to his book_

_Fluttershy was stunned "__why didn't you tell us about this sooner__" Fluttershy asked as she looked at the others_

_Alex closed his book and threw it into the air "__He didn't tell you because we asked him to not say anything till we were sure I was pregnant, Ruby and Phoenix Rose you two have a big mouth__" Gem snapped and she flew up to Alex and laid herself on his belly_

_Alex started to examine Gem "__Alex I should inform you Gem's midsection was injured recently__" Sun Seed said and Alex flew to his room_

_Gem was crying as she wasn't sure if she had lost her foal or not "__Give me a moment__" Alex said and walked through the wall and into his Alchemy lab "__now where did I put them__" he wondered then found what he was looking for and returned to his room "__ok Gem what I'm about to do will feel rather intrusive but I'll do my best to minimise your pain ok__" Alex explained and set to work _

_Novalis and the others had finished eating "__what's going on__" Soarin asked politely _

"_Gem got impregnated by Sun Seed three months ago but her midsection was recently injured and Alex is checking her to see if the foal made it__" Rarity explained as she waited with battered breath_

_Alex worked for hours then sat down "__I can't believe it for the second time ever I failed__" Alex cried as he hung his head in shame_

_Gem grabbed Alex by the head "__please Uncle don't beat yourself up I should have been more careful and if I do get pregnant again I vow to be extra careful and not do anything dangerous__" Gem said as she hugged her Uncle and cried at the same time "__Sun Seed dear is it alright if I stay with Uncle Alex tonight I want to make sure he doesn't do anything to beat himself up__" Gem asked_

_Sun Seed nodded his head "__that's fine he may have failed to save our foal but I will not blame him for it nor will I blame you for being reckless it was an accident and that is all__" Sun Seed said and sat by the door_

_Rarity had fainted from shock "__poor Rarity she was looking forward to the prospect of being a grandmother but this tragedy happened__" Fluttershy cried "__I was looking forward to it too but I understand things like this happen and poor Alex tried everything he could think of to help and still failed I just pray Rarity doesn't blame him cause this is harder on him than it is on her__" Fluttershy explained _

_Macintosh hugged Fluttershy "__Don't fret Fluttershy Rarity is a smart pony she'll understand now come on let's go home__" Macintosh said and turned to leave _

"_Why don't you all head home get the young ones then come back for the night a family get together wouldn't hurt__" Celestia suggested sweetly_

_Fluttershy looked at Celestia "__sounds good Princess I'll go home and get Rose Weather and I'll be back shortly__" Fluttershy replied then turned her attention to Macintosh "__make sure Alex doesn't hurt himself that's an order__" she said sternly _

"_Understood__" Macintosh said and saluted_

_Twilight looked at Clutterstep "__you follow that order too please dear I'll go home and get Crescent Hawk and Moonlight Willow__" Twilight said and she magiced Rarity over to Alex's side _

_Pinkie looked at Braeburn "__I'll go get Millefeuille and Berlingot then be right back, Keep an eye on him Braeburn__" Pinkie said _

"_Don't say anything Applejack just go get Storm Harvest and I'll see you when you get back__" Thunder Lane laughed _

_Applejack kissed Thunder Lane "__I'll be back shortly so stay here and keep an eye on that stallion ya hear__" Applejack replied and the princesses of Harmony left to get their young ones_

_Meracle looked around and noticed Sakura sitting nearby "__Sakura you've been quiet for days now are you alright darling__" Meracle asked_

_Sakura looked up "__hmm sorry I've just been in really deep thought as I recently got a letter from Hinata saying that she was now dating her personal Guard Shaoran__" Sakura explained _

_Meracle just started laughing "__Naughty Girl__" Meracle giggled as she walked with Sakura around the house to the bath_

"_I really don't mind her being with him, I've known Shaoran since the day he enlisted in the imperial guard and he's a good pony so I'm happy for Hinata__" Sakura giggled as she washed herself in the bath_

_Meracle and Sakura got out of the bath as the Princesses of Harmony returned with their young ones "__Poor Gem her first pregnancy and this happens to her__" Cloud Puff said sadly_

"_Maybe we should stay here with her to cheer her up__" Berlingot giggled_

_Millefeuille bounced around her sister "__I do believe that, that would be a fantastic idea__" she laughed_

"_We'll have to be very careful what we say around her__" Moonlight Willow said sagely_

"_Anything we say to her could be a sensitive subject so be extra careful__" Crescent Hawk said in agreement with his older sister_

"_I wouldn't be too sure about that as sometimes talking about the things that trouble you is best so if she wants too__" White whirl said sagely _

"_I agree if we can get Gem and Sun Seed to talk about it while it will be hard for them, talking about it will ease their pain in the end__" Sunrise Brisk laughed as he just hovered in mid air_

_Meracle looked around and smiled "__if you will excuse me I'll go and get Coral and Pearl and then I'll be right back__" Meracle said happily and took flight _

_Sakura looked at Drake who was nearby and instantly started blushing "__what has gotten into me__" she thought to herself as she walked slowly up to Drake "__he feels just like Alex does is that why I feel for him the way I do__" she wondered as she crept closer to Drake "__Oh Drake__" she called getting his undivided attention_

"_Yes can I__" Drake started to reply when Sakura jumped him pressing her lips against his own, Drake didn't resist secretly after the passing of Reverie he had taken a liking to Sakura as well but was very unsure of how to bring the topic up _

_Celestia had seen them at it on the lawn "__ok you two that's enough please take it to your room__" Celestia laughed and Drake and Sakura did as they were told "__will have to tell Alex about that when he wakes up, I just hope this failure doesn't start making him doubt himself__" Celestia said quietly as she looked at Alex sleeping in his room_

_Esmeralda walked up to the door "__how is our darling stallion holding up Celestia__" Esmeralda asked kindly as she looked at her beloved stallion "__look at him his second failure has really rattled him__" Esmeralda whimpered_

"_Alex has experienced failure before, his track record on Erunera was flawless he never failed a single contract__" Phoebe said as she looked at her eldest son "__the poor dear his second ever failure let's hope he comes through it__" Phoebe said gently_

_Alex woke up and looked at Gem who was lying across his front legs "__my second failure I honestly thought I would be feeling worse__" Alex said as he nuzzled Gem "__I Apologise to you Gem I know I failed in saving your foal but I vow never to fail again__" Alex promised as he kissed Gem's forehead_

"_Alex my darling son that really isn't a promise you should make saying that will just make you fail again as it will put doubts in your mind and make you screw up__" Phoebe said sagely _

_Alex looked at his mother and his eyes flashed red "__thank you for your advice mother I'll be sure to keep it in mind__" Alex said so darkly it scared everypony but secretly Alex meant what he said, he was going to keep his mother's advice in his mind "__would you ponies mind leaving me with Gem__" Alex asked kindly_

"_Of course Alex sleep well__" Celestia said happily "__Come on everypony let's let Alex sleep__" Celestia giggled and she and the others walked away_

"_Alex seemed oddly calm for somepony who has failed for the second time__" Esmeralda said curiously_

_Macs looked at Phoebe "__he was acting wasn't he__" Macs asked quietly_

_Phoebe nodded "__he's really panicked, you can tell by the promise that he made that he is more panicked and scared of failing again__" Phoebe replied "__I can almost bet that if we open his bedroom door again he won't be in there__" Phoebe said and she looked back at the door "__a mother knows her own babies best__" she chuckled_

_Nero dived for the door and pulled it open "__Mother is right__" Nero said as he turned back to the others "__he's gone__" he added _

_The others raced up to the room only to find Sun Seed asleep in the room "__The Lake in the Heart of the Forest they're heading there__" Rarity said and turned to walk away_

"_Are you sure Rarity__" Celestia asked_

_Rarity looked back "__A mother knows her babies best right__" Rarity replied and took off_

_They all bolted through the forest "__what could he be planning bringing her here__" Meadow Rose asked as she raced along with the others_

"_Alex never admits it but he once had a lady he liked on Erunera he loved her dearly but due to him being an Assassin he never told her anything, whenever she was in trouble he was in and out so fast nobody ever saw him move, he never killed them but he did beat them so badly they never bothered her again__" Phoebe explained "__one day he wasn't there in time and she was raped and beaten, Alex took her to a lake, he has always been able to bend water to his will, he took her there to heal her, I believe he might be attempting to do the same with Gem__" Phoebe added as she ran along with the others_

_Macs skidded to a stop "__you're forgetting the after effect__" Macs said_

_The others skidded to a stop as well "__What after effect__" Novalis said as he looked at Macs and Phoebe _

_Phoebe looked at Macs "__the water Healing Ritual he uses causes the one being healed to lose all memory of him, Basically Gem will never remember him it's a sacrifice basically but there is one other draw back even if he is walking beside her she will never see him__" Phoebe explained _

"_NO MATTER WHAT WE HAVE TO STOP HIM__" Rarity screamed as she and the others raced towards the Forest Heart_

_Meanwhile at the forest heart_

_Alex arrived at the lake tears flowing down his face "__After this Gem you will no longer remember that I existed nor will you be able to see me__" Alex cried as he walked onto the water to purify it_

"_Alex don't do this to her, Gem needs you, you may be her Uncle but she treats you like a father, she needs you if you take yourself away from her who is she going to turn to__" Gaia said from the edge of the lake _

"_THEN WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO__" Alex screamed "__I failed to protect Jess all those years ago and now I have failed Gem as well__" Alex cried_

"_Jess wouldn't want you to do this to yourself again Alex please think about it, if you do this you'll basically lose a daughter and I'm sure your heart can't take too much more pain, if you can't find any glimmer of happiness other than your new born foals you will die from a broken heart, what good are you going to be to your family dead__" Gaia explained_

_Alex fell into the lake and just stayed there "__what should I do, Gaia is right if I do this I lose a daughter but then again if I don't I run the risk of her never having foals again, that outcome would break her heart__" Alex argued with himself_

"_Alex there are other ways to heal her but this method is not worth the outcome__" Gaia cried as Alex climbed out onto the water_

_Alex sat down on the water "__ALEX DON"T DO ANYTHING STUPID__" Rarity screamed as she skidded to a stop near Gem "__Gem honey it's mommy wake up__" Rarity cried_

"_Momma__" Gem said sleepily as she got to her feet "__where's Uncle Alex__" she asked looking at the other_

_The rest of the family sighed in relief as Gem mentioned Alex's name "__You, you naughty stallion what were you thinking, such a method should not be used especially on members of your own family__" Rarity snapped at him_

_Alex looked at Gaia and nodded and the flower Alex used to use for meditation appeared and then closed up with Alex sitting on it "__there is no way we are going to be able to talk to him now, not now that the flower has closed__" Celestia said_

"_Is there any way we can force it open__" Novalis asked_

_Esmeralda tail slapped her father "__never try to invade another ponies magic source are you asking to die__" she snapped and walked across the water "__None shall touch this flower until he comes out on his own__" she said as she patted the flower with her wing_

"_Gaia how long do you expect him to be in there__" Lauren asked kindly_

_Gaia looked at the closed flower "__I'm not overly sure but if you come back tomorrow then he should be out and about again__" Gaia informed them _

_The others left and leaving nothing to chance they took Gem with them "__But mother I want to stay with Uncle Alex__" Gem whined as they walked alone_

"_I'm sorry my dear but your uncle is in no condition to have anypony around__" Rarity replied_

_Gem stopped dead in her tracks "__it's that kind of thinking that has Uncle Alex so detached, have none of you ever noticed that when we leave him behind he always looks so lonely, we think that is the best for him to leave him alone but it isn't we need to stay with him and have him talk to us even if we have to be cruel and force him to talk, no pony should ever keep their negative emotions bottled up inside imagine what it could do to him__" Gem explained and she tail slapped her mother across the face then made her way back to the forests heart "__I pray I make it in time, it might be cruel but I think I should take him to the crystal empire and send him through the mirror early maybe the Celestia over there can return him to normal__" Gem thought to herself quietly "__time to execute the plan__" she whispered_

_Gem arrived at the lake in the crystals heart and saw Gaia with her head pressed against the flower "__you're going to be ok Alex I promise, no, no you are not alone your family loves you dearly they just believe that when you are feeling sad that it's best to leave you be now sleep Alex and rest your mind__" Gaia said sweetly_

_Gem followed Gaia's example and pressed her head against the flower as well "__Uncle Alex it's Gem I literally gave the rest of the family a lecture, once you are out of here I'm executing the plan and taking you to the Crystal Empire and sending you back through the mirror, I'm hoping beyond hope that the Celestia on the other side will help you mend your broken heart did you know that everything that happens here happens there too so believe it or not you are actually married to the Celestia on the other side of the mirror too__" Gem explained and was completely unaware that inside the Flower Alex was crying with a smile on his face just at the sound of her voice_

_Gaia looked towards the family home "__they aren't in the forest's heart, get ready Gem I'm going to open the flower once it's open grab Alex and fly to the crystal empire and get him through the mirror then return here once you're back you'll take Alex's place in the flower and when the others return I'll open the flower, but while you are in the flower I'll be personally healing your body in Alex's place and there will be no side effects__" Gaia explained_

_The flower opened and Gem acted fast grabbing Alex and taking off for the crystal empire "__I hope they are awake__" Gem giggled as she passed through the weather barrier some couple of hours later, Gem roared with the ferocity of her father signalling her approach_

_Seira dashed out the front door of the Castle and lit the pathway up "__Come on in Gem__" Seira called as she waited by the door "__Oh you brought Uncle Alex with you right on time everything is ready his bag with plenty of clothes is set along with a set of weapons just in case and very special crystal all he has to do is shatter it and his Armour will appear on his body now come on let's get him through the mirror before the others in the forest realize he is missing__" Seira explained_

_Gem just walked through the castle "__you don't need to worry about that, they all think he is resting inside the flower in the forests heart__" Gem laughed_

"_And I presume Gaia opened the flower so you could retrieve him and bring him here then__" Cadence giggled as she and Shining Armour approached the young ones "__I can't believe we pulled this off behind my mother's, Aunt's and Grandparent's backs, By the way Gem how is the pregnancy coming along__" Cadence asked_

_Gem looked at her belly and sighed deeply "__sadly I was injured recently and I lost the foal, Uncle Alex did everything he could to save my baby but he failed and it really tore him up__" Gem explained sadly as she tapped her belly _

_They arrived in Alex's personal room that now housed the mirror "__we don't have any more time to waste__" Shining Armour said sternly as he grabbed Alex by the tail "__Somepony put his saddle bags on him and make sure the letter is in one of them__" he ordered _

_Cadence grabbed the letter while Seira fitted Alex's saddle bags "__ok all done on this end Armour, THROW HIM THROUGH__" Cadence yelled and with a mighty heave Shining Armour through Alex straight through the mirror_

_Gem walked up to the window "__Please excuse me I need to return to the Everfree Forest before the others wake up, Gaia is going to heal me as it stands right now I can't carry anymore foals but once I'm healed I honestly hope that I can at least start my own family with Sun Seed__" Gem explained and took flight_

_Cadence looked around at Shining Armour and Seira "__I guess we should head that way to and introduce them to Reimi then__" Cadence giggled and she dropped her illusion spell revealing a new born foal no older the three weeks "__mother will be the most stunned__" Cadence chuckled "__come along Reimi its feeding time__" she said quietly then turned and left the room_

_A couple of hours later at the Heart of the Everfree forest_

_Gem landed near the lake "__Gaia I'm back__" Gem called kindly_

_Gaia appeared near the flower that was closed except for one petal "__everything is ready for you Gem all you need to do is step into the flower then I'll close it, just know that it will put you to sleep while it works on you and if everything goes well you will be able to have foals again__" Gaia explained _

"_My body being healed and being able to carry foals again will also result in healing my uncle's heart__" Gem said as she walked into the flower and laid down in the middle of it and the final petal closed._


End file.
